Live aurora forecast
Northern lights in Svalbard tonight and this season
Live aurora odds for 1 place in Svalbard, 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 Svalbard need Kp 1 or more at Longyearbyen, the best placed of the 1 spot on this page by geomagnetic latitude (75.3°). The aurora season in Svalbard 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 Longyearbyen, by geomagnetic latitude
- 1 place in Svalbard with a live OVATION probability on this page
- Aurora probability over Longyearbyen refreshes every 15 minutes with the fetch time shown
- No guided aurora tour in the catalogue passes the filter yet
- Kp forecast for the next 3 days in 3-hour slots, from NOAA SWPC
On this page
1Aurora over Longyearbyen 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 Svalbard for the northern lights
Longyearbyen at 78° north is so far up that the polar night runs from mid November to late January and the aurora can appear at midday. The settlement lies at the poleward edge of the oval, so during quiet periods the lights are often south of it, and a moderate Kp actually brings them overhead.
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 Svalbard needs
The table ranks the places in Svalbard 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 Svalbard
The aurora season in Svalbard runs from late August to mid April, when nights are long enough, and the darkest months are November to February. In Longyearbyen 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 Svalbard
No guided aurora tour in Svalbard passes the catalogue filter of at least 4.3 stars and 20 reviews on Viator right now, so this page shows the live odds and the Kp needed instead.
| Place | Latitude | Geomagnetic latitude | Kp needed | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longyearbyen | 78.2° N | 75.3° | 1 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI, World Magnetic Model 2025, geomagnetic pole, checked on 9 Oct 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you see the northern lights in Svalbard?
Yes, when the Kp index reaches the level a place needs and the sky is dark and clear. Longyearbyen needs Kp 1 or more by the NOAA rule used on this site, and Longyearbyen needs Kp 1. The live probability for each place in Svalbard is on this page and refreshes every 15 minutes.
What Kp index do you need for the northern lights in Svalbard?
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 Svalbard?
The aurora season in Svalbard 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 Svalbard has the best aurora odds tonight?
The cards on this page rank the 1 place in Svalbard 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 Svalbard?
No guided aurora tour in Svalbard passes the catalogue filter of at least 4.3 stars and 20 reviews on Viator right now. The page shows the live odds and the Kp needed so a visit can still be timed with the forecast.
Does Svalbard have polar night or midnight sun?
Yes. Longyearbyen lies 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 (3)
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
Written and maintained by the Kp Forecast editorial team. Independent site, not a space weather agency. Data: NOAA SWPC.
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