# Aurora viewing locations with tonight's odds > Thirty northern lights destinations on both hemispheres by country, each with the aurora probability right now, the Kp needed and the tours on offer. Canonical: https://kpforecast.com/locations/ Updated on: 2026-10-09 Thirty destinations from Svalbard to the Falkland Islands, grouped by country. Every card shows the aurora probability from the NOAA OVATION model right now and the Kp index that destination needs. ## All 30 northern lights destinations by country Live figures on the web page, refreshed every 15 minutes. ## How to read the northern lights cards The percentage is the aurora probability from NOAA's OVATION model at the grid point closest to each destination, a 30 to 90 minute forecast that refreshes on this site every 15 minutes. The Kp needed is the Kp index from which the auroral oval can reach that latitude, following NOAA's rule of thumb on geomagnetic latitude. When the Kp measured right now reaches that figure the card says Kp enough, otherwise it says how much is missing. A high probability still needs a dark and clear sky. Destinations with their own page, marked View forecast, add the Kp forecast for the next three days and the tours that leave from there. The southern hemisphere is included because the aurora australis follows the same Kp: Hobart, the south of New Zealand and Patagonia appear with their own figures. How every number is produced is explained under [Data and method](https://kpforecast.com/data-and-method/). Tours for the destinations with inventory are listed under [Northern lights tours](https://kpforecast.com/northern-lights-tours/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Which northern lights location has the best chance right now? The card with the highest percentage. The home page lists the same 30 destinations in one table sorted by probability, which is the fastest way to compare them. The figure comes from NOAA's OVATION model and changes every 15 minutes, so a destination that leads now can drop within the hour. ### What does Kp needed mean on a northern lights card? It is the Kp index from which the auroral oval can reach that destination, calculated from its geomagnetic latitude with NOAA's rule of about 66 degrees for Kp 0 and 2 degrees per Kp level. Places inside the oval, such as Tromsø or Fairbanks, show Kp 1 or more, while Kiel or Edinburgh need a storm. ### Why does a northern lights destination show Kp enough but a low probability? Because the two numbers measure different things. Kp enough compares the Kp measured in the last 3-hour interval with the Kp the destination needs. The probability is NOAA's OVATION estimate for the next 30 to 90 minutes at that point, which also depends on daylight and on where the oval sits right now. ### Are southern lights destinations on the northern lights locations page? Yes. Hobart in Tasmania, Dunedin, Queenstown and Stewart Island in New Zealand, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas and Stanley in the Falkland Islands are listed with their own probability. The aurora australis responds to the same Kp index, read from the southern half of the OVATION grid. ### Why do only some northern lights destinations have View forecast? Only destinations with their own page show that link. A page adds the Kp forecast for the next three days at that point, the tours that leave from there and practical notes with sources. More destination pages are added as they are written and reviewed, starting with the places most travellers search for. ### How often is the northern lights locations page updated? Every 15 minutes at most. The site keeps each NOAA product for that long and the page is rebuilt with the oldest product's age taken into account, so a figure is never older than 15 minutes plus NOAA's own publication delay. Each block shows the time of its last fetch. ## Sources - [NOAA SWPC, Aurora 30 Minute Forecast (OVATION)](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast), checked on 2026-10-09 - [NOAA SWPC, Tips on viewing the aurora](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/tips-viewing-aurora), checked on 2026-10-09 - [NOAA NCEI, Wandering of the Geomagnetic Poles (WMM2025)](https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/GeomagneticPoles.shtml), checked on 2026-10-09