When can I see the northern lights next?

The northern lights need three things: solar activity (measured by the Kp index), darkness, and a latitude close enough to the auroral oval. From Scandinavia, Iceland, Canada or Alaska, many active nights work. From mid-latitudes you need a proper geomagnetic storm, the kind that happens a handful of times a year in an active solar cycle. Phone cameras see aurora before eyes do: a 3-second exposure at a dark northern horizon is the honest first test.

More big questions

Where is the Milky Way tonight? · When is the next rocket launch? · When is the next Starlink train? · When can I see the southern lights next? · Where is the James Webb Space Telescope right now? · When is the next lunar eclipse? · When is the next solar eclipse? · When is the next visible comet?