Where to see the aurora · 🇺🇸 USA

Where to see the northern lights in the US

Alaska is the best place in the US and has its own guide. In the Lower 48 the aurora shows during geomagnetic storms, and the northern tier is closest to the oval: Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Maine and Washington. Watch away from the lights with an open view north — from the Lake Superior shore or in the national parks.

Aurora tonight in the Boundary Waters All countries

Kp today: up to 2.3
May reach tonight: 0 of 9; places at Kp up to 2.3

Places

Places in the US: Kp needed and season

The Kp needed and the season are calculated from coordinates. "Tonight" uses today's peak Kp and the season; clouds are on each place's page.

Place	Kp needed	Season	Tonight
Boundary Waters, Minnesota	4.7	all year round	won't reach
Marquette, Michigan	5.3	all year round	won't reach
Duluth, Minnesota	5.3	all year round	won't reach
Glacier National Park, Montana	5.5	all year round	won't reach
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota	5.6	all year round	won't reach
Minneapolis, Minnesota	6.3	all year round	won't reach
Acadia National Park, Maine	6.3	all year round	won't reach
Lake Placid, New York	6.3	all year round	won't reach
Seattle, Washington	6.5	all year round	won't reach

How to shoot

How to photograph the northern lights with a phone

A recent phone is enough: what matters is keeping it still and a long exposure.

Night mode

Turn on the camera's night mode. An iPhone held perfectly still offers exposures up to 30 seconds by itself; on Android use "Night" or "Night Sight".

Tripod or support

The phone must stay still: a tripod, a backpack, the car roof. Use a 3-second timer so tapping the shutter doesn't blur the shot.

Manual mode

If you have "Pro": a 5–15 second exposure (shorter for fast-moving aurora), ISO 800–3200, focus at infinity, white balance around 3500–4000 K.

No flash, no lights

Switch off the flash and dim the screen. Step away from streetlights — eyes and camera adapt to the dark in 15–20 minutes.

FAQ

Where to see the northern lights in the US

Where is the best place to see the northern lights in the US?

The lowest Kp is needed here: Boundary Waters, Minnesota — Kp 4.7, Marquette, Michigan — Kp 5.3, Duluth, Minnesota — Kp 5.3. These places see the aurora most often — all you need is darkness and a clear sky.

When is the northern lights season in the US?

In the south of the country nights are dark all year round; in the north the season is shorter because of white nights. Geomagnetic activity is on average higher around the equinoxes, in March and September–October.

Will there be northern lights in the US tonight?

Today's forecast peak is Kp 2.3: the aurora may reach 0 of the 9 places on the list. The hourly answer with cloud cover is on each place's page.

How do you photograph the northern lights with a phone?

Turn on night mode (an iPhone on a tripod offers exposures up to 30 seconds by itself) or use manual mode with a 5–15 second exposure and ISO 800–3200. Put the phone on a tripod or a steady surface, focus at infinity and switch the flash off.

The aurora in other countries

🇳🇴 Norway 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇫🇮 Finland 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 Alaska 🇨🇦 Canada 🇬🇱 Greenland 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇷🇺 Russia Where to see the aurora — all countries

Aurora forecastKp, solar wind and a 27-day outlook Geomagnetic stormsKp today and for three days Dark skyWhere to drive away from light pollution