Best Places for Aurora Tourism in North America
Fairbanks, Yellowknife, Whitehorse, Churchill, and Jasper are among the most popular aurora tourism destinations, but they offer very different tradeoffs in access, comfort, darkness, and reliability.
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Northern lights guides for curious sky watchers
Learn how aurora forecasts work, what affects visibility, and how to give yourself better odds when the sky starts getting interesting.
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Every published guide from Northern Lights Tonight, collected in one place.
How to Read an Aurora Forecast
An aurora forecast is easier to read when you know what matters most: geomagnetic activity, darkness, cloud cover, and your location. Here is how to turn the numbers into a better yes-or-no decision.
Best Time to See the Northern Lights in the U.S.
The best time to see the northern lights in the U.S. is usually from late fall through early spring, especially in northern states with dark skies and strong geomagnetic activity.
Best Time to See the Northern Lights
The best time to see the northern lights is usually during dark months from late August or September through March, especially on clear nights in northern Canada, Alaska, and the northern U.S. during stronger activity.
What Is the KP Index? How Aurora Watchers Should Actually Use It
The KP index is one of the most common numbers in aurora forecasts, but it works best as a rough guide, not a promise. Here is what it means and how casual northern lights watchers should use it.
Why Is It So Hard to See the Northern Lights in Summer?
The northern lights still happen in summer, but long daylight, bright twilight, and short nights make them much harder to see across the U.S. and Canada.
Recent Major Aurora Events That Lit Up North America
A look at several major aurora storms from 2023 to 2025, where they were visible, and what made each event stand out.
Why Are the Northern Lights So Active Right Now?
The northern lights have been unusually active because Solar Cycle 25 is in its maximum phase, with high sunspot activity leading to more solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and stronger geomagnetic storms.
What Is the Aurora Borealis?
The Aurora Borealis, or northern lights, is a natural light display caused by charged particles from the Sun interacting with Earth's magnetic field and upper atmosphere.