When is the absolute best time to observe?

The optimal observation window opens during maximum astronomical dark hours, when moon illumination is low and local cloud cover stays under about 20% for a genuinely clear sky.

What observation equipment do I need?

Baseline tracking can be done with the naked eye. For fainter, low-contrast targets, a steady tripod-mounted pair of wide-field binoculars or a small telescope makes a real difference.

Is this event visible from my exact location?

Search your specific city or coordinates above — visibility depends on your exact latitude and local horizon, not just your general region.

Aurora Forecast by State & City

Browse by state

Live aurora forecast for every US state

50 states

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Popular cities

Northern lights forecast for major US cities

212 cities

Anchorage, AK Fairbanks, AK Seattle, WA Spokane, WA Portland, OR Boise, ID Minneapolis, MN Saint Paul, MN Duluth, MN Milwaukee, WI Madison, WI Chicago, IL Detroit, MI Grand Rapids, MI Cleveland, OH Columbus, OH Buffalo, NY Rochester, NY New York, NY Boston, MA Portland, ME Burlington, VT Manchester, NH Philadelphia, PA Pittsburgh, PA Washington, DC Baltimore, MD Denver, CO Colorado Springs, CO Salt Lake City, UT Billings, MT Bozeman, MT Fargo, ND Bismarck, ND Sioux Falls, SD Rapid City, SD Omaha, NE Kansas City, MO St. Louis, MO Indianapolis, IN Louisville, KY Nashville, TN Charlotte, NC Raleigh, NC Atlanta, GA Miami, FL Orlando, FL Tampa, FL Houston, TX Dallas, TX Austin, TX San Antonio, TX El Paso, TX Phoenix, AZ Tucson, AZ Albuquerque, NM Las Vegas, NV Reno, NV Los Angeles, CA Chatsworth, CA Northridge, CA San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Sacramento, CA Honolulu, HI Birmingham, AL Montgomery, AL Huntsville, AL Mobile, AL Juneau, AK Mesa, AZ Chandler, AZ Scottsdale, AZ Flagstaff, AZ Little Rock, AR Fayetteville, AR Fresno, CA Long Beach, CA Oakland, CA Bakersfield, CA Anaheim, CA Riverside, CA Stockton, CA Irvine, CA Chula Vista, CA Santa Ana, CA Palm Springs, CA South Lake Tahoe, CA Fort Collins, CO Aurora, CO Boulder, CO Hartford, CT Bridgeport, CT New Haven, CT Wilmington, DE Dover, DE Jacksonville, FL St. Petersburg, FL Tallahassee, FL Fort Lauderdale, FL Key West, FL Savannah, GA Augusta, GA Columbus, GA Hilo, HI Idaho Falls, ID Coeur d'Alene, ID Springfield, IL Rockford, IL Peoria, IL Fort Wayne, IN Evansville, IN South Bend, IN Des Moines, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Iowa City, IA Wichita, KS Topeka, KS Lawrence, KS Lexington, KY Bowling Green, KY New Orleans, LA Baton Rouge, LA Shreveport, LA Lafayette, LA Bangor, ME Annapolis, MD Frederick, MD Worcester, MA Springfield, MA Cambridge, MA Hyannis, MA Ann Arbor, MI Lansing, MI Traverse City, MI Rochester, MN Bemidji, MN Jackson, MS Gulfport, MS Springfield, MO Columbia, MO Missoula, MT Great Falls, MT Helena, MT Kalispell, MT Lincoln, NE Carson City, NV Concord, NH Newark, NJ Jersey City, NJ Atlantic City, NJ Trenton, NJ Santa Fe, NM Las Cruces, NM Albany, NY Syracuse, NY Yonkers, NY Lake Placid, NY Greensboro, NC Durham, NC Asheville, NC Wilmington, NC Grand Forks, ND Minot, ND Cincinnati, OH Toledo, OH Akron, OH Dayton, OH Oklahoma City, OK Tulsa, OK Eugene, OR Bend, OR Salem, OR Allentown, PA Erie, PA Harrisburg, PA Scranton, PA Providence, RI Columbia, SC Charleston, SC Greenville, SC Myrtle Beach, SC Aberdeen, SD Memphis, TN Knoxville, TN Chattanooga, TN Gatlinburg, TN Fort Worth, TX Corpus Christi, TX Lubbock, TX Amarillo, TX Waco, TX Galveston, TX Marfa, TX Provo, UT Park City, UT Moab, UT Stowe, VT Richmond, VA Virginia Beach, VA Norfolk, VA Charlottesville, VA Tacoma, WA Bellingham, WA Yakima, WA Charleston, WV Morgantown, WV Green Bay, WI Eau Claire, WI Cheyenne, WY Jackson, WY

International aurora hotspots

Live aurora forecast for the world's best-known northern and southern lights destinations

Tromso, Norway Reykjavik, Iceland Helsinki, Finland Oslo, Norway Stockholm, Sweden Copenhagen, Denmark Edinburgh, United Kingdom Yellowknife, Canada Whitehorse, Canada Saint Petersburg, Russia

Browse by country

Every real aurora location, organized by country

230 countries