Can you see the aurora borealis from Calgary, Alberta?

Yes, during strong enough geomagnetic activity. Calgary, Alberta sits at about 57.4° geomagnetic latitude, so aurora becomes visible low on the northern horizon at around Kp 2, and the oval expands over it at around Kp 4, when displays can reach high into the sky rather than staying low. Kp is a planetary three-hour index: it tells you how far the auroral oval reaches, not exactly where the aurora will be in your sky at a given moment.

What Kp index is needed to see the aurora in Calgary?

About Kp 2 for a display low on the horizon, and about Kp 4 before the oval expands over you and displays reach high into the sky. Kp is a planetary index, so the number you need depends on your geomagnetic latitude rather than your position on a map — and it describes how far the oval reaches, not where the arc will be at a given moment.

When is the best time to look for the aurora in Calgary?

Aurora is most active around magnetic midnight, roughly 22:00–02:00 local time. You also need a properly dark sky, which is not the same as "after sunset". Tonight in Calgary the sky is dark enough from about 19:09 until 07:34. Clear skies matter as much as the Kp number.

How often does aurora come within reach of Calgary?

Kp reached 2 or more during the night hours in Calgary on 247 of the last 364 nights, which is about the level at which aurora comes into range here. That counts geomagnetic activity only: cloud, moonlight and summer daylight decide how many of those nights anything could be seen.

Northern lights in Calgary tonight

Can you see the northern lights in Calgary? Yes, often. Calgary needs about Kp 2 on the 0 to 9 scale of solar activity for a glow low in the northern sky, and activity reached that on 247 of the last 364 nights. The best months are September to April, when the nights are darkest.

Illustration: a quiet, cloudy night with no aurora — Illustration of tonight's likely sky

Aurora is unlikely tonight

NOAA expects tonight's Kp to peak around 1.7. Aurora here usually needs about Kp 2, so tonight is not the night.

As of 13:03 Calgary time. Updated every 15 minutes.

Tonight in Calgary

Friday 13 November

Cloud and darkness, 18:00 to 06:00Local time · Open-Meteo

100%

57%

100%

18:0021:0000:0003:0006:00

Cloud coverDark enough, 19:09 to 07:34

ActivityToo quietKp 1.7

Kp 0needs 29

Calgary usually needs about Kp 2. Kp 1.7 is NOAA's forecast peak for tonight's dark hours here. Latest reading Kp 0.7 (15:00–18:00 UTC).

Kp is a 0 to 9 scale of how stirred up Earth's magnetic field is. The higher it goes, the further from the poles aurora reaches. More about Kp

CloudsClear spells70%

Cloud comes and goes through the dark hours. The clearest spell is around 22:00 to 01:00. Right now it's 100%.

The number is the average over tonight's dark hours; the verdict is judged hour by hour, so one clear evening does not hide an overcast midnight. Even a strong aurora is invisible through solid cloud.

DarknessDark enough19:09–07:34

Dark until 07:34. Aurora is usually best around midnight.

Dark enough means the sun is well below the horizon, which is later than sunset. At high latitudes in summer it never gets there.

How this is worked out

Aurora usually becomes visible from here around Kp 2, and tonight is below that. A strong substorm can bring it lower — treat this as a guide, not a cutoff.

Aurora appears in a ring around Earth's magnetic pole. The higher the Kp, the wider the ring grows. Inside it, aurora can show anywhere in the sky; outside it, you would see it low toward the north, if at all.

A guide, not a guarantee: aurora can beat the forecast or fall short of it, so don't plan a trip on this alone.

Aurora forecast for the next nights

NOAA does not expect Kp to reach 2, the level Calgary needs, in the next 2 nights.

NightPeak KpOutlook

TonightFri 13 Nov1.7Borderline
Tomorrow nightSat 14 Nov1.3Borderline

Hour by hour

Each bar is three hours of NOAA's Kp forecast, in Calgary time. NOAA last updated it Fri 13 Nov, 13:00.

Needed here · Kp 2

FriSatSun

Night, reaches the level Night, below it Daylight here

Show as a table

Day	From	Kp	Sky here
Fri 13	12:00	1.7	Daylight
Fri 13	15:00	1.7	Daylight
Fri 13	18:00	1.7	Daylight
Fri 13	21:00	1.7	Night
Sat 14	00:00	1.3	Night
Sat 14	03:00	1.3	Night
Sat 14	06:00	1.3	Daylight
Sat 14	09:00	1.3	Daylight
Sat 14	12:00	1.7	Daylight
Sat 14	15:00	1.3	Daylight
Sat 14	18:00	1.7	Daylight
Sat 14	21:00	1.3	Night
Sun 15	00:00	1.3	Night
Sun 15	03:00	1.3	Night
Sun 15	06:00	1.3	Daylight
Sun 15	09:00	1.3	Daylight
Sun 15	12:00	1.7	Daylight
Sun 15	15:00	1.7	Daylight
Sun 15	18:00	3.3	Daylight

Email me when the aurora is likely in Calgary

One email when activity is forecast to climb high enough for the aurora in Calgary. Nothing else.

Where to watch near Calgary

Calgary is far enough north that the northern lights appear several times a year, mostly between late September and early April, though the city glow makes them look pale and green from town. Darker rural skies show far more color. The open prairie gives a clear northern horizon once you are past the city lights.

Nose Hill Park (Shaganappi Trail lot)High, open grassland in the city with wide sky views10 km
Fish Creek Provincial ParkOn the city's southwest edge, far from downtown light20 km
Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation AreaDesignated nocturnal preserve with very little light; parking fee35 km

The Calgary Aurora Chasers Facebook group posts live conditions, and parks to the southwest of the city keep you furthest from the city glow.

More about the aurora in Calgary

Best time of year

September to April, when the nights are darkest.

The best months in Calgary are September to April, with about 13 hours of real darkness a night.

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What is Kp?

The 0 to 9 number behind every aurora forecast.

What is Kp? A number from 0 to 9 for how stormy space weather is. Most nights are 1 to 3. At 5 or more it's a storm, and the northern lights spread much further south. More about Kp

By the numbers

Needs about Kp 2. High in the sky from Kp 4.

Kp needed here1–3: Typically about Kp 2 for a glow low on the northern horizon. It depends on distance from the magnetic pole, which is why two cities on the same latitude can need different numbers.
High in the sky fromKp 4: Below this, aurora stays low toward the north. Above it, the ring expands over you and it can appear anywhere overhead.
Magnetic latitude57.4°: Calgary is at 51.0° on the map, but the aurora ring is centred on the magnetic pole, so for aurora it behaves like a 57.4° location.

How often it happens

Activity was high enough on 247 of the last 364 nights.

247of the last 364 nights

Kp reached 2 or more during the night hours in Calgary on 247 of the last 364 nights, about the level at which aurora comes into range here. The strongest night was January 19, 2026, when Kp reached 7.7. This counts activity, not sightings: cloud, moonlight and light summer nights decide how many of those nights anything could be seen.

NNovDDecJJanFFebMMarAAprMMayJJunJJulAAugSSepOOctNNov

Nights per month on which Kp reached the level during the night hours.

Show as a table

Month	Nights
Nov	13 of 18
Dec	26 of 31
Jan	27 of 31
Feb	25 of 28
Mar	25 of 31
Apr	17 of 30
May	16 of 31
Jun	19 of 30
Jul	14 of 31
Aug	15 of 31
Sep	19 of 30
Oct	23 of 31
Nov	8 of 11

Tips for seeing it

Where to look, when, and what the forecast can't tell you.

Look north. Aurora starts to clear the northern horizon at around Kp 2 and can reach high overhead from about Kp 4.
Get away from street lights, with a clear view north.
Go out around 22:00 to 02:00, when aurora is usually most active.
Give your eyes twenty minutes to adjust. A phone camera picks up colour long before your eyes do.
Kp covers the whole planet in three-hour blocks, so it can't say where aurora is this minute. NOAA's live aurora map shows the next half hour.

Common questions

Can you see it from here, what Kp you need, and when to look.

Can you see the aurora borealis from Calgary, Alberta?: Yes, during strong enough geomagnetic activity. Calgary, Alberta sits at about 57.4° geomagnetic latitude, so aurora becomes visible low on the northern horizon at around Kp 2, and the oval expands over it at around Kp 4, when displays can reach high into the sky rather than staying low. Kp is a planetary three-hour index: it tells you how far the auroral oval reaches, not exactly where the aurora will be in your sky at a given moment.
What Kp index is needed to see the aurora in Calgary?: About Kp 2 for a display low on the horizon, and about Kp 4 before the oval expands over you and displays reach high into the sky. Kp is a planetary index, so the number you need depends on your geomagnetic latitude rather than your position on a map — and it describes how far the oval reaches, not where the arc will be at a given moment.
When is the best time to look for the aurora in Calgary?: Aurora is most active around magnetic midnight, roughly 22:00–02:00 local time. You also need a properly dark sky, which is not the same as "after sunset". Tonight in Calgary the sky is dark enough from about 19:09 until 07:34. Clear skies matter as much as the Kp number.
How often does aurora come within reach of Calgary?: Kp reached 2 or more during the night hours in Calgary on 247 of the last 364 nights, which is about the level at which aurora comes into range here. That counts geomagnetic activity only: cloud, moonlight and summer daylight decide how many of those nights anything could be seen.

Nearby places

Northern lights in Canada Northern lights in Alberta All places Live aurora map 3-day forecast

Kp index and forecast from NOAA SWPC. Cloud cover and sun times from Open-Meteo. Kp history from GFZ Potsdam (CC BY 4.0). Magnetic latitude is AACGM-v2, epoch 2026.

Day

From

Sky here

Fri 13