Can you see the aurora borealis from Edinburgh, Scotland?

Yes, during strong enough geomagnetic activity. Edinburgh, Scotland sits at about 52.7° geomagnetic latitude, so aurora becomes visible low on the northern horizon at around Kp 5, and the oval expands over it at around Kp 7, 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 Edinburgh?

About Kp 5 for a display low on the horizon, and about Kp 7 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 Edinburgh?

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 Edinburgh the sky is dark enough from about 17:35 until 06:20. Clear skies matter as much as the Kp number.

How often does aurora come within reach of Edinburgh?

Kp reached 5 or more during the night hours in Edinburgh on 20 of the last 365 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 Edinburgh tonight

Can you see the northern lights in Edinburgh? Yes, on nights with strong solar activity. Edinburgh needs about Kp 5 on the 0 to 9 scale of solar activity for a glow low in the northern sky, and activity reached that on 20 of the last 365 nights. The best months are September to March, 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 5, so tonight is not the night.

As of 23:19 Edinburgh time. Updated every 15 minutes.

Tonight in Edinburgh

Saturday 14 November

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

100%

80%

100%

98%

100%

18:0021:0000:0003:0006:00

Cloud coverDark enough, 17:35 to 06:20

ActivityToo quietKp 1.7

Kp 0needs 59

Edinburgh usually needs about Kp 5. Kp 1.7 is NOAA's forecast peak for tonight's dark hours here. Latest reading Kp 1.0 (18:00–21:00 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

CloudsNo clear spell96%

Cloud over every dark hour, with no clear spell in the forecast. Even a strong display will be hidden. A clearer spot nearby may do better. 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 enough17:35–06:20

Dark until 06:20. 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 5, and tonight is well 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 5, the level Edinburgh needs, in the next 3 nights.

NightPeak KpOutlook

TonightSat 14 Nov1.7Unlikely
Tomorrow nightSun 15 Nov3.3Unlikely
Monday nightMon 16 Nov3.7Unlikely

Hour by hour

Each bar is three hours of NOAA's Kp forecast, in Edinburgh time. NOAA last updated it Sat 14 Nov, 23:18.

Needed here · Kp 5

SatSunMonTue

Night, reaches the level Night, below it Daylight here

Show as a table

Day	From	Kp	Sky here
Sat 14	21:00	1.3	Night
Sun 15	00:00	1.7	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	1.3	Daylight
Sun 15	15:00	1.3	Daylight
Sun 15	18:00	1.7	Daylight
Sun 15	21:00	1.7	Night
Mon 16	00:00	3.3	Night
Mon 16	03:00	2.0	Night
Mon 16	06:00	2.0	Daylight
Mon 16	09:00	3.0	Daylight
Mon 16	12:00	3.0	Daylight
Mon 16	15:00	3.3	Daylight
Mon 16	18:00	3.3	Daylight
Mon 16	21:00	3.3	Night
Tue 17	00:00	3.7	Night

Email me when the aurora is likely in Edinburgh

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

Where to watch near Edinburgh

The northern lights reach Edinburgh only on a few nights a year, when solar activity is strong, and city glow makes faint displays hard to see. The city's hills help: they lift you above the street lights and give a clear view north over the Firth of Forth. For better odds, people drive to the Highlands or the north coast.

Calton HillCentral hill with a clear view of the northern horizon1 km
Arthur's SeatHighest point in the city, above most street light2 km
Blackford HillClear northern view with less city light interference5 km
Portobello BeachOpen view across the sea, aurora has been photographed here5 km

More about the aurora in Edinburgh

Best time of year

September to March, when the nights are darkest.

From June the sky over Edinburgh never gets fully dark, so aurora season runs September to March, with about 14 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 5. High in the sky from Kp 7.

Kp needed here4–6: Typically about Kp 5 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 7: Below this, aurora stays low toward the north. Above it, the ring expands over you and it can appear anywhere overhead.
Magnetic latitude52.7°: Edinburgh is at 56.0° on the map, but the aurora ring is centred on the magnetic pole, so for aurora it behaves like a 52.7° location.

How often it happens

Activity was high enough on 20 of the last 365 nights.

20of the last 365 nights

Kp reached 5 or more during the night hours in Edinburgh on 20 of the last 365 nights, about the level at which aurora comes into range here. The strongest night was January 19, 2026, when Kp reached 8.7. 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	0 of 17
Dec	2 of 31
Jan	6 of 31
Feb	2 of 28
Mar	4 of 31
Apr	1 of 30
May	1 of 31
Jun	1 of 30
Jul	1 of 31
Aug	0 of 31
Sep	0 of 30
Oct	2 of 31
Nov	0 of 13

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 5 and can reach high overhead from about Kp 7.
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 Edinburgh, Scotland?: Yes, during strong enough geomagnetic activity. Edinburgh, Scotland sits at about 52.7° geomagnetic latitude, so aurora becomes visible low on the northern horizon at around Kp 5, and the oval expands over it at around Kp 7, 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 Edinburgh?: About Kp 5 for a display low on the horizon, and about Kp 7 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 Edinburgh?: 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 Edinburgh the sky is dark enough from about 17:35 until 06:20. Clear skies matter as much as the Kp number.
How often does aurora come within reach of Edinburgh?: Kp reached 5 or more during the night hours in Edinburgh on 20 of the last 365 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 the United Kingdom Northern lights in Scotland 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

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Sky here

Sat 14