Aurora destinations · Sweden & Finland
Northern lights in Kiruna
Sweden · 67.86°N, 20.23°E
Kiruna lies under the auroral oval, so aurora is often overhead: a dark, clear night has good odds even when activity is low (magnetic latitude 65°). Light pollution: there is some town glow.
Open the live forecast for Kiruna
At a glance
- Good odds: from any Kp at a dark site
- Best months: March, February and September
- Best weeks in the coming year: 3–16 Mar · 24 Mar – 6 Apr
- Too light for aurora: 28 Apr – 17 Aug (bright nights)
- Polar night: 11 Dec – 1 Jan (the sun doesn’t rise)
- Midnight sun: 29 May – 17 Jul (the sun doesn’t set; no aurora)
Month by month
A typical night: real darkness and moon, average aurora activity (Kp 2014–2025) and satellite cloud cover (NASA, 2001–2025). Long-range odds, not a forecast.
| Month | Typical night | Clear sky | Dark hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10% | 24% | 16 h |
| February | 11% | 26% | 13 h |
| March | 14% | 32% | 9 h |
| April | 8% | 30% | 3 h |
| May | Too light | 27% | – |
| June | Too light | 25% | – |
| July | Too light | 27% | – |
| August | 5% | 25% | 2 h |
| September | 10% | 24% | 8 h |
| October | 9% | 21% | 12 h |
| November | 10% | 24% | 15 h |
| December | 9% | 21% | 17 h |
Tips for Kiruna
- Clouds decide most nights: check the hour-by-hour forecast, and the “Clearer skies nearby” card for a spot within a drive.
- Aurora is usually best between about 22:00 and 02:00 local time; give your eyes 15 minutes in the dark.
- Get away from the town lights: even 10–20 km makes a difference.
Nearby destinations
Abisko · Rovaniemi · Saariselkä · Levi