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● Aurora by location

Northern Lights Forecast
for Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom — about 54° geomagnetic latitude. Drier east coast (better than cloudy west).

Aberdeenshire
Drag Kp — watch the oval reach youKp 2.7 · not yet
54° geomag.● outside the oval
● Right now · live
Kp 2.7Aberdeenshire — aurora is unlikely on the horizon tonight
1% aurora probability nowOvercast. the sky is clouded over.
Full live forecast → all 70 spots
Kp for a glow
Kp 5
Kp overhead
Kp 7
Geomagnetic lat.
54°
Best season
late September to late March

Can you see the aurora in Aberdeenshire?

Yes. From a dark site you need about Kp 5 for a faint glow low on the northern horizon, and roughly Kp 7 for bright aurora directly overhead. At 54° geomagnetic latitude this spot sits well outside the oval — it takes a major geomagnetic storm.

◇ How often, historically
62 / 365
days · Kp 5+ (a glow here)
9 / 365
days · Kp 7+ (overhead here)

Over the last 12 months the planetary Kp peaked at the levels Aberdeenshire needs on the days shown — out of 365. Kp is a global index, so these are the odds the sky was active enough; you still need clear, dark skies here. In 94 years on record the strongest day hit Kp 9.

The full Kp archive, 1932 → today →

When to go

The season runs late September to late March, when the nights are long and dark. You also need clear skies and a low moon — even a strong Kp is useless under cloud. Check tonight's live call above, then plan a night around the dark window, cloud and moon.

◐ Tonight: about 2.9 h of astronomical darkness (~22:38–01:34 local). The aurora is usually best near local midnight.

Nearby in Northern Europe

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Thresholds are averages from a dark site. Real visibility also needs clear skies, darkness and a cooperative moon — read every number as a chance, not a guarantee. The map is schematic: the auroral oval is drawn at a nominal 66° and the marker is approximate.