Can you see the aurora borealis from Tórshavn, Faroe Islands?

Yes, during strong enough geomagnetic activity. Tórshavn, Faroe Islands sits at about 60.0° geomagnetic latitude, so aurora becomes visible low on the northern horizon at around Kp 1, and the oval expands over it at around Kp 3, 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 Tórshavn?

About Kp 1 for a display low on the horizon, and about Kp 3 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 Tórshavn?

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 Tórshavn the sky is dark enough from about 17:40 until 06:43. Clear skies matter as much as the Kp number.

How often does aurora come within reach of Tórshavn?

Kp reached 1 or more during the night hours in Tórshavn on 321 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 Tórshavn tonight

Can you see the northern lights in Tórshavn? Yes, often. Tórshavn needs about Kp 1 on the 0 to 9 scale of solar activity for a glow low in the northern sky, and activity reached that on 321 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

Clouds will likely hide the aurora tonight

The activity is there, but cloud is forecast over every dark hour, 96% on average, with no clear spell. A clearer spot nearby may do better.

As of 22:35 Tórshavn time. Updated every 15 minutes.

Tonight in Tórshavn

Thursday 12 November

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

65%

99%

90%

100%

18:0021:0000:0003:0006:00

Cloud coverDark enough, 17:40 to 06:43

ActivityEnough for a low northern glowKp 1.7

Kp 0needs 19

Tórshavn usually needs about Kp 1. Kp 1.7 is NOAA's forecast peak for tonight's dark hours here. Latest reading Kp 1.3 (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 enough17:40–06:43

Dark until 06:43. 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

The ring where aurora appears sits north of Tórshavn tonight, but a bright display should rise above the northern horizon. Get away from town lights and find a spot with nothing blocking the view north.

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 1 on 3 of the next 3 nights, enough for aurora here.

NightPeak KpOutlook

TonightThu 12 Nov1.7Cloudy
Tomorrow nightFri 13 Nov1.7Within reach
Saturday nightSat 14 Nov1.7Within reach

Hour by hour

Each bar is three hours of NOAA's Kp forecast, in Tórshavn time. NOAA last updated it Thu 12 Nov, 22:34.

Needed here · Kp 1

ThuFriSatSun

Night, reaches the level Night, below it Daylight here

Show as a table

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

Email me the next time the aurora is likely in Tórshavn

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

Where to watch near Tórshavn

The Faroe Islands sit far enough north to see the northern lights on clear winter nights. The hard part is the weather, since the islands are often cloudy and windy. Tórshavn is small, so dark villages and viewpoints are only a short drive away.

VelbastaðurCliffside village with dark skies and views of Hestur and Koltur10 km
SornfelliMountain viewpoint above Tórshavn, sometimes above the clouds20 km
SandoyFlat island with wide open skies, reached by tunnel25 km

November to February is best, sometimes March; summer nights have too much daylight, so check the cloud forecast as well as the aurora forecast.

More about the aurora in Tórshavn

Best time of year

September to March, when the nights are darkest.

From May to July the sky over Tórshavn never gets fully dark, so aurora season runs September to March, with about 15 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 1. High in the sky from Kp 3.

Kp needed here0–2: Typically about Kp 1 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 3: Below this, aurora stays low toward the north. Above it, the ring expands over you and it can appear anywhere overhead.
Magnetic latitude60.0°: Tórshavn is at 62.0° on the map, but the aurora ring is centred on the magnetic pole, so for aurora it behaves like a 60.0° location.

How often it happens

Activity was high enough on 321 of the last 365 nights.

321of the last 365 nights

Kp reached 1 or more during the night hours in Tórshavn on 321 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	16 of 19
Dec	28 of 31
Jan	29 of 31
Feb	27 of 28
Mar	30 of 31
Apr	26 of 30
May	25 of 31
Jun	28 of 30
Jul	26 of 31
Aug	22 of 31
Sep	26 of 30
Oct	28 of 31
Nov	10 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 1 and can reach high overhead from about Kp 3.
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 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands?: Yes, during strong enough geomagnetic activity. Tórshavn, Faroe Islands sits at about 60.0° geomagnetic latitude, so aurora becomes visible low on the northern horizon at around Kp 1, and the oval expands over it at around Kp 3, 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 Tórshavn?: About Kp 1 for a display low on the horizon, and about Kp 3 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 Tórshavn?: 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 Tórshavn the sky is dark enough from about 17:40 until 06:43. Clear skies matter as much as the Kp number.
How often does aurora come within reach of Tórshavn?: Kp reached 1 or more during the night hours in Tórshavn on 321 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 Faroe Islands 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

Thu 12