In space
Aurora forecast
NOAA’s short-term forecast of where the aurora is likely right now, drawn as a band over both poles, with night and day on the map beneath it.
Right now · as of
NOAA’s nowcast for puts the highest chance of seeing the aurora anywhere at 11%.
What you see
- The chance of aurora overhead on a 1° grid, for about the next 30 minutes. Areas under 5% are left clear.
- The line between day and night, since the aurora can only be seen in the dark.
Where the data comes from
- NOAA SWPC OVATIONThe Space Weather Prediction Center’s aurora model, driven by the solar wind measured on its way to Earth.
Updated every 5 minutes, as NOAA updates it.
Good to know
- It ignores cloud and moonlight: a high chance under cloud means nothing to see.
- It looks about 30 minutes ahead, so it says nothing about tonight or tomorrow.
- Aurora overhead can often be seen low on the horizon from a few hundred kilometres further from the pole.
Goes well with
Live cloudsGlobal cloud cover from NOAA’s mosaic of weather satellites, refreshed hourly and drawn in 3D over the map, so you can see where the skies are clear.
Day and night, liveA live world map of day and night: the line between them moving with the Sun, so you can see where it is daytime, dusk or night anywhere on Earth.
The Sun, Moon and planetsThe Sun, Moon, planets and brightest stars in their true places around a live 3D globe, from NASA JPL Horizons and the Yale Bright Star Catalogue.