See the northern lights
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
The aurora is charged particles from the Sun lighting up the upper atmosphere, and during strong activity it reaches far further south than its Arctic reputation suggests. From a hilltop with a clear view north it can be seen as much as 1,000 kilometres away, so the skill lies in watching the alerts and being ready to go.
GentleFreeA year or moreOutdoorsAlone or with othersUK and USAutumn to spring, when nights are dark
Someone who has done it
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What it's really like
On most nights the northern lights are not the vivid curtains of the photographs. Fairbanks, Alaska, describes its displays as mostly green, teal and white, with a purple or magenta edge when they are intense, in curtains, bands, rays or a corona overhead.
A display can last a few minutes or several hours, and nobody can promise one. What you can control is being somewhere dark, facing north, under a clear sky, at the right time of night. Most of an evening out is waiting, often in the cold, so warm layers and a hot drink matter more than any gadget.
How to read the alerts
| Alert or index | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| AuroraWatch UK green | Aurora unlikely to be visible by eye or camera anywhere in the UK | Stay in |
| AuroraWatch UK yellow | May be visible by eye from Scotland, and by camera from Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland | Worth a look from a dark spot in Scotland |
| AuroraWatch UK amber | Likely visible by eye from Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, possibly elsewhere; photographs likely from anywhere in the UK | Go out if the sky is clear |
| AuroraWatch UK red | Likely visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK | Go out wherever you are, away from lights |
| NOAA Kp 3 to 5 | The aurora moves further from the poles and grows brighter and more active | Good nights in the far north; from further south, find a hilltop |
| NOAA Kp 6 to 7 | Possibly visible from the northern edge of the United States | Northern states: find a dark view to the north |
| NOAA Kp 8 to 9 | Very bright and active; may be overhead in the northern states | Worth trying across much of the northern US |
The UK alert levels are AuroraWatch UK's, run by Lancaster University; the Kp scale, from 0 to 9, is the one NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts for North America. NOAA's rough rule is that the edge of the aurora sits near 66 degrees geomagnetic latitude at Kp 0 and moves about 2 degrees towards the equator for each step up the scale. A bright display can be seen hundreds of kilometres (miles) away, so a hill with a clear northern horizon helps.
When to go
Darkness comes first. NOAA notes that the aurora may still be there in summer but can only be seen when the sky is dark, which is why summer trips to the far north usually disappoint. NOAA says displays are usually strongest within an hour or two of midnight, between 10pm and 2am local time, and that the weeks around the spring and autumn equinoxes tend to bring larger geomagnetic storms. A full moon makes the aurora look fainter.
Visit Norway says aurora activity began peaking in 2024 and expects the highest levels in 11 years through 2026, so this winter and next spring are a good time to try.
Where to travel for them
| Where | Season the tourist board gives | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland: Shetland, Orkney, Lewis and Harris, Caithness, Galloway Forest Park | October to March | Shetland calls the lights the Mirrie Dancers. Caithness and the North Coast 500 need no ferry. Galloway Forest Park was the UK's first Dark Sky Park. |
| Northern Norway: Tromsø, Alta, Lyngen, Senja, Lofoten, Bodø | Late September to late March | Direct international flights to Tromsø; Bodø also has an international airport. Tromsø is busy in winter, so Visit Norway suggests autumn or the quieter places nearby. Coastal ships sail between Tromsø and Kirkenes. |
| Fairbanks, Alaska | 21 August to 21 April | Under the auroral oval, with low rainfall and often clear skies. Explore Fairbanks says the aurora shows on about four clear, dark nights in five. |
Explore Fairbanks puts the chance at more than 90 per cent for visitors who stay at least three nights and are out late, but no tourist board can guarantee a sighting: you need a clear, dark sky as well as activity. Plan spare nights rather than pinning everything on one.
Taking a photograph
- A phone's night mode can work. For a camera, VisitScotland suggests a sturdy tripod and a wide-angle lens.
- Explore Fairbanks suggests manual mode, the highest ISO and the widest aperture, with exposures of about 5 to 10 seconds; longer exposures are brighter but blur the aurora and streak the stars. A remote shutter helps.
- Bring extra batteries and a head torch, and find somewhere with as little light pollution as you can.
How to start
- Follow AuroraWatch UK's alerts in the UK, or bookmark the NOAA aurora forecast map in the US.
- Pick a dark spot near you with a clear view to the north, away from street lights.
- Go out when an amber or red alert coincides with a clear sky, and take a camera or a phone with a night mode.
Where to go
- AuroraWatch UK alerts (Lancaster University) UK
- Aurora 30-minute forecast (NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center) US
- VisitScotland: the northern lights in Scotland UK
- Visit Norway: the northern lights in Norway
- Explore Fairbanks: aurora season in Alaska US
We opened these links on 7 October 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. The hard part of a day out is the timing: the right season, tickets and getting there. The plan watches the calendar for you.
Questions people ask
Can you see the northern lights from England?
Yes, on strong nights. At an AuroraWatch UK amber alert the aurora is likely to be visible by eye from northern England and photographs are likely from anywhere in the UK; at red it is likely to be visible by eye from anywhere in the UK.
What time of night is best for the northern lights?
NOAA says usually within an hour or two of midnight, between 10pm and 2am local time. VisitScotland gives 9pm to 2am, and says activity can come earlier or later.
What Kp do you need to see the aurora?
NOAA says that at Kp 6 to 7 it may be visible from the northern edge of the United States, and at Kp 8 to 9 it may be overhead in the northern states. In the far north, Kp 3 to 5 brings brighter, more active displays.
What is the best month to see the northern lights?
NOAA says the weeks around the spring and autumn equinoxes tend to bring bigger storms. Visit Norway gives late September to late March, with most activity in September and October and in March and April; VisitScotland says October to March.
Do I need to book a tour?
No. Explore Fairbanks lists driving to a vantage point and waiting as one option, alongside guided tours and heated cabins. At home, watching the alerts and going to a dark spot with a view north is enough.
How many nights should I allow?
Explore Fairbanks puts the chance above 90 per cent for visitors who stay at least three nights and are out late. Nowhere can promise it, so allow spare nights for cloud.
Where this comes from: AuroraWatch UK (Lancaster University), alert status descriptions; NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, Tips on viewing the aurora; Visit Norway, The northern lights in Norway; Explore Fairbanks, Aurora; VisitScotland, Northern lights. Opened 4 November 2026.
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