Northern Lights Forecast
for Straumsnes
Straumsnes, Norway — about 66.5° geomagnetic latitude. A quiet jetty on Senja's E86 toward Hamn — water, silence and a 360° horizon.
Where to look
From the jetty, face north; every direction opens to water. Watch for black ice on the road. Foreground: the jetty and the fjord reflection.
Can you see the aurora in Straumsnes?
Yes. From a dark site you need about Kp 1 for a faint glow low on the northern horizon, and roughly Kp 3 for bright aurora directly overhead. At 66.5° geomagnetic latitude Straumsnes sits deep under the auroral oval — quiet nights are often enough.
Over the last 12 months the planetary Kp peaked at the levels Straumsnes 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.
Nearby in Senja
From the bookChasing PinkStraumsnes is one of the spots in the book — seven winters of chasing the northern lights, free to read here.Start reading →