Aurora destinations · Russia
Northern lights in Murmansk
Russia · 68.97°N, 33.08°E
Murmansk lies under the auroral oval, so aurora is often overhead: a dark, clear night has good odds even when activity is low (magnetic latitude 66°). Light pollution: city lights brighten the sky. In town you need about Kp 1.0; at a dark site nearby, any Kp.
Open the live forecast for Murmansk
At a glance
- Good odds: from any Kp at a dark site, Kp 1.0 in town
- Best months: March, February and January
- Best weeks in the coming year: 27 Jan – 9 Feb · 24 Feb – 16 Mar · 24 Mar – 6 Apr
- Too light for aurora: 21 Apr – 17 Aug (bright nights)
- Polar night: 2 Dec – 11 Jan (the sun doesn’t rise)
- Midnight sun: 23 May – 23 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 | 7% | 22% | 16 h |
| February | 8% | 23% | 13 h |
| March | 8% | 23% | 9 h |
| April | 4% | 21% | 2 h |
| May | Too light | 19% | – |
| June | Too light | 22% | – |
| July | Too light | 25% | – |
| August | 2% | 21% | 1 h |
| September | 6% | 17% | 8 h |
| October | 4% | 11% | 12 h |
| November | 5% | 15% | 15 h |
| December | 6% | 17% | 17 h |
Tips for Murmansk
- 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.