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Live aurora guide · Finnish Lapland
Northern lights forecast for Lapland – where to see them tonight
Real-time aurora forecasts, cloud cover for every spot and an honest guide to the best places to stand under the sky – starting from Rovaniemi.
Kp now…
Solar wind…
Bz…
Moon50 %
Space weather, live
What the sun is doing right now
Loading forecast…
Reading the sky…
Check clouds at each spot… km/s
Calm to moderate. Over 500 km/s boosts chances.
… nT
Pointing north – the door is mostly closed for now.
Live aurora map
The auroral oval, updated every few minutes
Coloured cells show NOAA’s OVATION model – the probability of aurora overhead in the next ~30 minutes. Numbers on the pins are tonight’s chance at each spot, combining the forecast with live cloud cover and darkness.
Use two fingers to move the map Tap a pin to explore the spot
Layers
What if Kp =2.0
Drag to see how far south the lights reach. The dashed line is a rough rule of thumb for Finland.
Visible north of line <15 % 15–30 30–50 50 %+
Loading aurora model…
Live from Lapland
Lapland live cameras
Live video from Kilpisjärvi, Levi and Rovaniemi. The north-facing cameras show the aurora as soon as it appears.
Starlapland · YouTube
All-sky aurora cameras
The whole sky over Lapland, live
Fish-eye cameras photograph the entire sky every minute on dark nights. North is at the top – look for a green arc rising from the northern edge.
The best places
Six spots, ranked by tonight’s odds
The most likely spot is always on top. The order combines the aurora forecast, cloud cover and darkness at each spot, and re-ranks itself every 5 minutes.
#1 · Most remote 69.05° N
Kilpisjärvi
Saana fell, Finnish LaplandFinland’s arm-tip between Sweden and Norway, guarded by the sacred Saana fell. Remote, high and right under the auroral oval.
Tonight37/100Possible
Clouds tonight…
Dark17:40until 07:05
Kp needed0.3420 km from Rovaniemi
Cloud cover, next hours
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- Highest fells in Finland
- Among the most aurora-active skies in Finland
- Three-country cairn nearby
- Zero light pollution
Tonight’s aurora tours
All tours Let the guides chase the clear sky
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- Up to 48 guests, coach
👑 Private ExperiencePro Tour – Private
Your own guide & vehicle · up to 8 people- 4–12 h
- Private, up to 8 people
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Live weather maps
Weather at every spot
Clouds decide the night more than anything else. Pick a spot to see its live weather map and the next 48 hours – darker bands show the hours dark enough for auroras.
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Map: Windy.com (ECMWF model) · Forecast: Open-Meteo · Updated every 5 minutes
Northern lights in Finland
Your live guide to the aurora borealis in Lapland
Finnish Lapland is one of the most reliable places on Earth to see the northern lights. North of the Arctic Circle the aurora appears on a large share of clear, dark nights from late August to early April – the hard part is finding a gap in the clouds at the right moment.
FoxAurora combines NOAA’s live space-weather data with local cloud forecasts and the hours of darkness at each spot, and turns it into one number: tonight’s chance. Use the live aurora forecast, check the aurora map, compare the best places in Lapland and plan your trip with our guide to the best time to see the northern lights.
Tonight across Lapland
Plan your nights
When to come, and which nights to stay up
Darkness and a dim moon are the two things you can plan ahead. Solar activity you can only forecast a few days out – that’s what the live board is for.
November14.5 h of darkness
Long nights and first proper snow. Good value before the Christmas season.
Tonight46% moon13 h dark
Tue 336% moon13 h dark
Wed 426% moon14 h dark
Thu 517% moon14 h dark
Fri 610% moon14 h dark
Sat 75% moon14 h dark
Sun 81% moon14 h dark
Mon 90% moon14 h dark
Tue 101% moon14 h dark
Wed 114% moon14 h dark
Thu 1210% moon14 h dark
Fri 1317% moon14 h dark
Sat 1425% moon14 h dark
Sun 1535% moon15 h dark
Moon phase and darkness are calculated; Kp shows NOAA’s 3-day forecast where available. A bright moon doesn’t hide a strong aurora – it just washes out the faint ones.
Field notes
Six things that make the difference
Look north, then wait
Auroras usually begin as a pale arc low on the northern horizon. Give it time – displays come in waves, often around 21–02 local time.
Let your eyes adapt
It takes about 15–20 minutes to see well in the dark. Keep screens dim and use a red head-torch.
Phone settings
Use night mode, prop the phone on something steady and expose for 3–10 seconds. Turn the flash off.
Camera settings
ISO 1600–3200, aperture f/2.8 or wider, 5–15 s, manual focus on a bright star. A tripod is a must.
Dress for −25 °C
Wool base layers, a down layer, insulated boots and mittens over gloves. Standing still is colder than you think.
Chase clear skies
Clouds matter more than Kp. If it is overcast, a 30-minute drive can be the difference – check the map above.
Good to know
All questions Northern lights FAQ
When is the northern lights season in Finland?
In Finnish Lapland the aurora season runs from late August to early April. Outside that window the nights are too bright – in summer the sun barely sets. September–October and February–March are popular because they combine long nights with milder weather and often active geomagnetic conditions around the equinoxes.
Where is the best place to see the northern lights in Finland?
Anywhere in Finnish Lapland can see the aurora, but the further north you go, the more often it appears overhead. Kilpisjärvi, Inari, Utsjoki and Saariselkä sit closest to the auroral oval, while Rovaniemi and Levi are easier to reach and still see the lights regularly. Our best-places ranking shows which spot has the best odds tonight.
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Lapland?
In northern Lapland auroras can be visible even at Kp 1–2. Around Rovaniemi a Kp of about 2–3 is usually enough on a clear night, and Kp 4–5 brings displays overhead across the whole of Lapland. Kp is a global average, so local conditions and clouds matter just as much.
Is cloud cover more important than the Kp index?
Very often, yes. Even a strong aurora is invisible behind thick clouds, while a modest Kp under a clear sky can give a beautiful show in Lapland. Check the cloud forecast for each spot and be ready to move.
Aurora alerts
Don’t sleep through the show
Pick your spot and how good the odds need to be. We’ll send a notification to this device when it is dark and the live forecast crosses your line – at most once a night, unless things get much better.
This browser doesn’t support notifications. On iPhone, add FoxAurora to your Home Screen first.
Right now at Rovaniemi
20Possible
20 points below your line.