Location
Please start with selecting your approximate Location and timezone according to where you are planning to view the Aurora's.
Feel free to change the location when your plans change.
By doing so, all times will be shown in the chosen timezone and you will not have to do any conversions yourself. In addition, a number of features will be able
to display the correct information.
Settings
Have a look at the Settings and possible Aurora Scout Premium licensing options.
A free trial is possible.
If you already have Aurora Scout Premium you can turn on the Premium features.
Forecast
The main feature of this app is to provide you with a comprehensive Aurora Forecast which should support you in your search for the Auroras.
The data is provided by NASA (US space agency), summarized in 5 minute slots, represented in a table. The colors have been chosen in such a way that it hints towards an increased or reduced chance
of seeing the Aurora. Red indicates unfavourable conditions while green and turquoise point to very favourable conditions.
Read up on the Activity Levels below to find out more about the colors and their meaning.
The color scale is also located at the bottom of the forecast.
Further Reading
The amount of information that can help you understand the Auroras and what it takes to successfully see them is extensive.
Please let any of the topics below be a starting point to become familiar with the different aspects involved.
Solar Wind
Stream of magnetically charged particles originating from the Sun.
Aurora
Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) are a natural phenomenon.
As the Solar Wind enters Earth's upper atmosphere it collides with Oxygen atoms and Nitrogen molecules. As a result of these collisions the Solar Wind looses
energy and makes the atoms and molecules emit light.
It is Mother Nature's own laser show.
Kp
The "Planetary K-index" is the most well-known number in relation to the Auroras. In it's most common use case it functions as a measure for the estimated disturbance to Earth's magentic
field caused by the Solar Wind, relevant for the whole planet.
However, it is not as accurate at predicting the Aurora activity as you might think. First and foremost it is a forecast. As the inputs for forecasts change over time so will the outcome.
Sometimes predicted Kp activity arrives earlier or much later than expected, this difference can vary from hours to days even.
The Kp-index comes from the standard 3-day NASA forecast and is presented in 3 hour time slots.
Further reading: Wikipedia - K-index
ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)
The estimated time of arrival of the Solar Wind at Earth is based on the measured Solar Wind's speed. It is done by multiple NASA satellites that measure the characteristics of the
Solar Wind located at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers from Earth (1% of the total Earth-Sun distance).
Because the ETA is calculated as the time it takes to cover a distance from the satellites to Earth there is no accounting for additional things that need to happen before
the Aurora becomes visible. Sometimes changes happen within 5 minutes of the ETA and sometimes it can take much longer (over one hour), patience is a virtue in most cases.
Interaction
How well is the Solar Wind capable of entering the atmosphere.
Density
The density of the Solar Wind will tell you how bright the Aurora's might be.
Energy
The amount of energy that the Solar Wind is able to bring into the upper atmosphere. High energy levels are associated with vibrant colors, fast movement as well as better visibility away from the poles towards the equator.
Night
The darker the night the easier it is to observe Aurora's. In order for the Aurora to be visible it will have to be stronger than a number of different sources of light pollution:
- Sunlight / Twilight
- Moonlight, especially a near full moon can really brighten the night sky
- Human light pollition (street lights for example)
Geomagnetic Pole
Location of Earth's magnetic North and South pole as seen from very far away (think in terms of approaching Solar Wind).
Auroral Oval
Oval shaped area around the Geomagnetic Poles where the Solar Wind enters Earth's atmosphere and the Auroras can be seen.
The size and shape of the Auroral Oval are depending on the characteristics of the Solar Wind.
Aurora Optimum
The time when you, at your current location, the closest Geomagnetic Pole and the Sun are aligned. At this moment in the night the Auroral Oval
will be the furthest away from the Poles and appear at it's highest point in the sky.
Moon
Both the level of illumination (0% = new moon, 100% = full moon), the angle above/below the horizon as well as it's place in the sky should help with assessing it's influence
on how much brighter the sky will be due to the moonlight.
indicates a visible moon, while means it will be below the horizon.
Cloud Cover
As the lowest point of the Aurora is at roughly 80km altitude and the highest clouds that can obscure seeing them can be up to 10km, having a clear, star filled sky is crucial to see the Aurora.
Clouds are usually your biggest challenge...
Observing Aurora's
Surface events on the Sun will typically need 2 to 5 days before they can reach Earth, assuming they were pointed in our direction to begin with.
The Solar Wind passing the satellites in L1 (Lagrange point) will most likely affect Earth's magnetic field and enter the atmosphere. Measured Solar Wind will usually take about
an hour to reach Earth and will influence how well the Aurora can be seen.
Aurora's can appear in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres and will be similar but not identical.
In order for you to see the Aurora you will need to be able to see stars. Local weather is not affected by the Aurora's.
Please select the correct timezone on the Location tab.
By doing so all times will be shown in the selected (local) timezone. When no selection is made UTC is used and you will have to convert everything yourself.
To more easily see what is happening right now, the current moment is highlighted in purple.
Abnormal Solar Wind arrival times are marked in blue. This can happen if the Solar Wind speed varies within a relatively short amount of time,
causing it to overtake what has already passed previously.
Rows that are semi-transparent contain incomplete measurements. Not all required data has arrived yet and the information is likely to still change.
When looking for Aurora's there are three types of information you will need to be aware of and combine to increase your chances:
- Forecasts
- Nowcast / Remote observations
- Own observations
Learning to combine all three different information types will help you better understand how each type interacts with the others and gives you the ability to make a better estimate of what to expect.
Forecasts
A forecast is an indication of what might happen but it has a high degree of inaccuracy. Think of long-term weather or 27-day Kp forecasts. Most of these are based
on sophisticated computer models and will be re-evaluated a certain number of times per day. Each time the information that is being put into these models will be slightly different with
possibly vastly different outcomes as a result.
The further away in time the less accurate they become. Expect frequent changes.
Nowcast / Remote observations
This information comes from direct observations from a distance. Think of satellite images of the cloud cover or satellite measurements of the current Solar Wind characteristics.
The time it takes before the remotely observed events reach you is relatively short and the chance of something changing
drastically is limited. Making it more reliable than forecasts.
Remote observations will also enable you to verify the accuracy of forecasts.
Own observations
Last but not least are your own observations in the field.
Does the cloud cover match the forecast? In which direction are they moving and does this match your expectations from looking at satellite images? Does the Aurora activity match
what you were expecting based on the Kp forecast or the nowcast information?
Information & News
SpaceWeather.comUpdates daily and always has very interesting news items.
Wikipedia - SunGreat place to start reading about the source of it all.
Data feeds and Images
NOAA.govBig thanks to NASA for making their satellite data and images available (HMIIC, 0193, ENLIL, Ovation).
Aurora Scout
Preparation is everything in your search for Northern Lights.
Whether you have never seen the Aurora or are a seasoned expert, one thing is for sure: Northern Lights will never get off your bucket list!
Once you experience their magic you will want to spend more nights outside in search of this spectacular ever changing natural phenomenon.
See this app as the Swiss army knife for Northern Lights hunting. It tries to bundle as much relevant information as
possible while keeping the interface compact and dark enough to use under extreme conditions. The last thing you want to do is take
your gloves off at -40° in order to scroll back and forth through large amounts of data or lose your night vision because your screen
lights up like a Christmas tree.
The app is intended for anyone interested in catching a good display and serves beginners, experienced
enthusiasts as well as professional guides.
Basic features (free):
- Summarized forecasts and real-time satellite data
- Easy to understand colors
- Dark interface, preserving much of your night vision
- Everything in local time! No more brain breaking conversions
- Clear indication of Solar Wind arrival time
- Sun and Moon rise and set times (based on location)
- Estimation of sky darkness (based on location)
- Explanations on relevant terminology and science
- Manual location selection (good for privacy and planning)
- GPS based current location selection
- Automatic data reload: 120s
- Real-time satellite data per 5 minutes
- Links to external localized weather services
- No advertisements or (hidden) monitization
Premium features:
- All Basic features
- Real-time data shown in numbers
- Separate and additional real-time data columns
- Additional real-time data details
- Advanced estimate of sky darkness (based on location)
- Images are relative to the current Solar Wind speed
- Images of the Sun (visible light, ultraviolet)
- Images of Solar wind models (ENLIL)
- Image of the Auroral Oval
- Image zoom
- Twilight transition times (based on location)
- Moon angle and direction (based on location)
- Estimation of sky darkness towards the horizon (based on location)
- Manual data reload permitted after 30s
- Real-time satellite data per minute
- Current ETA in minutes
- Active satellite for real-time data
Disclaimer
The application is provided "as is" and no claims can be made in relation to using it or the information provided.
Please be aware of the environment you are in while searching for the Northern Lights. Nature can be both beautiful and relentless,
especially in winter, so please tread carefully and do not take unnecessary risks!
Privacy Policy
Our servers only collect standard metrics that are required for servicing requests (like your public IP for example) and do not relay any data to third parties.
Your location data is not logged or stored on our systems.
By using the Location tab you will load third party components from Mapbox (please find
their privacy policy here).
By explicitly opening a link on the Weather tab your location will be forwarded to the
selected provider and you will have to read up on their respected privacy policy.
This app has no advertisements and is only monetized by selling Premium Licenses (see Settings).
Your support is much appreciated.
Location Data
The location and timezone you set on the Location tab will be used by our servers
to provide you with relevant position-based information as well as show all times in your selected timezone.
Determining your current location only happens when you click the "use my current location" icon ().
Because you can select your location manually you have full control over it's accuracy.
Please keep in mind you do not have to be exact in setting your location. Anything within a 10km radius should work equally well.
Cookies
In order for the app to function correctly we use cookies to relay information between app (instances) and server.
First party cookies:
- Interface, 30 days (topic, appMode)
- Location, 30 days (latitude, longitude)
- License, 1 day after expiry (license)
- Localisation, 30 days (timezone, timezoneOffset)
Third party cookies: none