Live aurora forecast
Northern lights in Norway tonight and this season
Live aurora odds for 3 places in Norway, the Kp each one needs, the season, and the guided tours that pass the catalogue filter. Data: NOAA SWPC, refreshed every 15 minutes.
In short
Northern lights in Norway need Kp 1 or more at Tromsø, the best placed of the 3 spots on this page by geomagnetic latitude (67.5°). The aurora season in Norway runs from late August to mid April, when nights are long enough, and the darkest months are November to February. The probability over each place right now comes from the NOAA OVATION model and refreshes every 15 minutes, with the time of the last fetch shown under each figure.
Key points
- Kp needed: 1 at Tromsø, by geomagnetic latitude
- 3 places in Norway with a live OVATION probability on this page
- Aurora probability over Tromsø refreshes every 15 minutes with the fetch time shown
- 51 guided tours pass the filter of 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and an aurora title
- Kp forecast for the next 3 days in 3-hour slots, from NOAA SWPC
On this page
1Aurora over Tromsø right now
Data: NOAA SWPC, fetched 09:11 UTC. Aurora probability by destination from the NOAA OVATION model, forecast for 9 Oct, 10:15 UTC. Aurora also needs a dark and clear sky. Kp needed: NOAA puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66° geomagnetic latitude for Kp 0, 2° closer to the equator per Kp level. Geomagnetic latitude from the WMM2025 dipole pole (NOAA NCEI).
2Why Norway for the northern lights
Northern Norway is the busiest aurora coast in Europe. Tromsø has the longest tour list on this site, Alta hosted the world's first northern lights observatory, built on Mount Haldde for Kristian Birkeland's expedition of 1899 to 1900 and staffed permanently from 1912 to 1926, and the Lofoten islands add mountains and sea to the foreground. All three sit inside the oval, so Kp 1 is enough when the sky is dark and clear.
Data: NOAA SWPC, fetched 09:11 UTC. Aurora probability by destination from the NOAA OVATION model, forecast for 9 Oct, 10:15 UTC. Aurora also needs a dark and clear sky. Kp needed: NOAA puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66° geomagnetic latitude for Kp 0, 2° closer to the equator per Kp level. Geomagnetic latitude from the WMM2025 dipole pole (NOAA NCEI).
3The Kp each place in Norway needs
The table ranks the places in Norway by geomagnetic latitude, which is what decides how strong a storm has to be before the auroral oval reaches them. NOAA puts the edge of the oval at about 66 degrees geomagnetic for Kp 0 and moves it 2 degrees toward the equator per Kp level. The full method, including why the figure is conservative, is on the data and method page.
4Kp forecast for the next 3 days
| UTC | Fri 9 Oct | Sat 10 Oct | Sun 11 Oct | Mon 12 Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00-03 | 4.00 | 4.67 G1 | 3.00 | |
| 03-06 | 3.67 | 5.67 G2 | ||
| 06-09 | 3.00 | 4.33 | ||
| 09-12 | 3.67 | 3.00 | 3.00 | |
| 12-15 | 4.67 G1 | 1.67 | 2.67 | |
| 15-18 | 5.00 G1 | 2.33 | 2.33 | |
| 18-21 | 6.00 G2 | 2.67 | 2.00 | |
| 21-00 | 5.67 G2 | 2.67 | 2.67 |
Data: NOAA SWPC. Slots before now are NOAA estimates, the rest are predicted values.
5When to see the northern lights in Norway
The aurora season in Norway runs from late August to mid April, when nights are long enough, and the darkest months are November to February. In Tromsø, Alta and Svolvær the sun stays below the horizon for weeks around the winter solstice, so the aurora can show in the afternoon. No aurora is visible during the midnight sun weeks.
6Northern lights tours in Norway
51 guided aurora tours in Norway pass the catalogue filter of at least 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and a title that names the aurora, from 74 USD per person. The cards below show the most reviewed ones per place, and the Norway tours page lists them all with prices, duration and reviews.
Northern lights tours from Tromsø 48
Tromso Aurora Hunt with Bonfire, Meal, Winter Suit & Photos4.8 · 2,436 reviews · 5 hfrom 211 USD
Chasing Lights: Aurora Big Bus Chase (All Photos Included)4.9 · 1,703 reviews · 5 hfrom 129 USD
Northern Lights Adventure with Greenlander, 8 people max5.0 · 1,519 reviews · 6 hfrom 318 USD
Chasing Lights: Aurora Minibus Chase (All Photos Included)4.9 · 1,410 reviews · 5 hfrom 257 USDNorthern lights tours from Alta 3
| Place | Latitude | Geomagnetic latitude | Kp needed | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tromsø | 69.6° N | 67.5° | 1 | 48 |
| Alta | 70.0° N | 67.2° | 1 | 3 |
| Svolvær | 68.2° N | 66.9° | 1 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026.
Latest northern lights posts
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the northern lights in Norway?
Yes, when the Kp index reaches the level a place needs and the sky is dark and clear. Tromsø needs Kp 1 or more by the NOAA rule used on this site, and Svolvær needs Kp 1. The live probability for each place in Norway is on this page and refreshes every 15 minutes.
What Kp index do you need for the northern lights in Norway?
Kp 1 or more at every place on this page. The figure comes from geomagnetic latitude: NOAA puts the edge of the auroral oval at about 66 degrees for Kp 0 and moves it 2 degrees toward the equator per Kp level, and it is conservative, because NOAA also notes that aurora is often visible hundreds of kilometres equatorward of that edge. The data and method page explains the calculation and its limits.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Norway?
The aurora season in Norway runs from late August to mid April, when nights are long enough, and the darkest months are November to February. Clear, dark nights matter as much as the Kp, so the cloud forecast for the dates decides the real view.
Which place in Norway has the best aurora odds tonight?
The cards on this page rank the 3 places in Norway by the NOAA OVATION probability for the current forecast hour. All of them need the same Kp, so the OVATION figure and the local cloud decide, and the cards refresh every 15 minutes.
Are there guided northern lights tours in Norway?
Yes. 51 tours pass the catalogue filter of at least 4.3 stars, 20 reviews and an aurora title: 48 in Tromsø and 3 in Alta, from 74 USD per person. They are listed on this page by place and in full on the Norway tours page, with prices, duration and reviews.
Does Norway have polar night or midnight sun?
Yes. Tromsø, Alta and Svolvær lie north of the Arctic Circle, so the sun stays below the horizon for part of the winter and above it for part of the summer. No aurora is visible during the midnight sun weeks, and in the polar night it can appear in the afternoon.
Sources (5)
Sources
- NOAA SWPC, tips on viewing the aurora, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- NOAA SWPC, OVATION aurora forecast model, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- Viator Partner API, catalogue and operator listings, checked on 9 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia (Norwegian), Haldde observatory, checked on 9 Oct 2026
Written and maintained by the Kp Forecast editorial team. Independent site, not a space weather agency. Data: NOAA SWPC.
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