Can you see the aurora borealis from Thurso, Scotland?

Yes, during strong enough geomagnetic activity. Thurso, Scotland sits at about 55.8° geomagnetic latitude, so aurora becomes visible low on the northern horizon at around Kp 3, and the oval expands over it at around Kp 5, 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 Thurso?

About Kp 3 for a display low on the horizon, and about Kp 5 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 Thurso?

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 Thurso the sky is dark enough from about 17:33 until 06:25. Clear skies matter as much as the Kp number.

How often does aurora come within reach of Thurso?

Kp reached 3 or more during the night hours in Thurso on 148 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 Thurso tonight

Can you see the northern lights in Thurso? Yes, often. Thurso needs about Kp 3 on the 0 to 9 scale of solar activity for a glow low in the northern sky, and activity reached that on 148 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 3, so tonight is not the night.

As of 17:09 Thurso time. Updated every 15 minutes.

Tonight in Thurso

Friday 13 November

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

47%

100%

17%

18:0021:0000:0003:0006:00

Cloud coverDark enough, 17:33 to 06:25

ActivityToo quietKp 1.7

Kp 0needs 39

Thurso usually needs about Kp 3. Kp 1.7 is NOAA's forecast peak for tonight's dark hours here. Latest reading Kp 0.7 (12:00–15:00 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 spells75%

Cloud comes and goes through the dark hours. The clearest spell is around 21:00 to 23:00. Right now it's 83%.

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 enough17:33–06:25

Dark until 06:25. 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 3, 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

Kp is forecast to reach 3 on 1 of the next 3 nights, enough for aurora here.

NightPeak KpOutlook

TonightFri 13 Nov1.7Unlikely
Tomorrow nightSat 14 Nov1.7Unlikely
Sunday nightSun 15 Nov3.3Within reach

Hour by hour

Each bar is three hours of NOAA's Kp forecast, in Thurso time. NOAA last updated it Fri 13 Nov, 17:04.

Needed here · Kp 3

FriSatSunMon

Night, reaches the level Night, below it Daylight here

Show as a table

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

Email me when the aurora is likely in Thurso

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

Where to watch near Thurso

Thurso sits on the far north coast of mainland Scotland, one of the best places in Britain to see the northern lights, with an open view north over the Pentland Firth toward Orkney. The season runs from late September to mid April; in summer the nights never get dark enough. The town's own lights are the main thing to escape, and a short drive along the coast does it.

Dunnet HeadMainland Britain's most northerly point, wide sea view to the north20 km
Castlehill Heritage Centre, CastletownHome of the Caithness Astronomy Group, good dark skies10 km
Sandside BayQuiet beach where aurora often reflects in the water15 km
Melvich BeachNorth-facing beach, aurora often seen reflected in the sea30 km

For alerts, use AuroraWatch UK, and check the Orkney Aurora and Aurora UK Facebook groups for live sightings nearby.

More about the aurora in Thurso

Best time of year

September to March, when the nights are darkest.

From June to July the sky over Thurso 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 3. High in the sky from Kp 5.

Kp needed here2–4: Typically about Kp 3 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 5: Below this, aurora stays low toward the north. Above it, the ring expands over you and it can appear anywhere overhead.
Magnetic latitude55.8°: Thurso is at 58.6° on the map, but the aurora ring is centred on the magnetic pole, so for aurora it behaves like a 55.8° location.

How often it happens

Activity was high enough on 148 of the last 365 nights.

148of the last 365 nights

Kp reached 3 or more during the night hours in Thurso on 148 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.

12.5

NNovDDecJJanFFebMMarAAprMMayJJunJJulAAugSSepOOctNNov

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

Show as a table

Month	Nights
Nov	9 of 18
Dec	14 of 31
Jan	21 of 31
Feb	17 of 28
Mar	16 of 31
Apr	13 of 30
May	11 of 31
Jun	7 of 30
Jul	7 of 31
Aug	12 of 31
Sep	7 of 30
Oct	12 of 31
Nov	2 of 12

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 3 and can reach high overhead from about Kp 5.
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 Thurso, Scotland?: Yes, during strong enough geomagnetic activity. Thurso, Scotland sits at about 55.8° geomagnetic latitude, so aurora becomes visible low on the northern horizon at around Kp 3, and the oval expands over it at around Kp 5, 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 Thurso?: About Kp 3 for a display low on the horizon, and about Kp 5 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 Thurso?: 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 Thurso the sky is dark enough from about 17:33 until 06:25. Clear skies matter as much as the Kp number.
How often does aurora come within reach of Thurso?: Kp reached 3 or more during the night hours in Thurso on 148 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

From

Sky here

Fri 13