Aurora destinations · Sweden & Finland
Northern lights in Saariselkä
Finland · 68.42°N, 27.42°E
Saariselkä 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: the sky here is fairly dark.
Open the live forecast for Saariselkä
At a glance
- Good odds: from any Kp at a dark site
- Best months: March, February and January
- Best weeks in the coming year: 3–9 Feb · 24 Feb – 16 Mar · 24 Mar – 6 Apr
- Too light for aurora: 28 Apr – 17 Aug (bright nights)
- Polar night: 6 Dec – 7 Jan (the sun doesn’t rise)
- Midnight sun: 25 May – 20 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 | 11% | 24% | 16 h |
| February | 12% | 24% | 13 h |
| March | 13% | 26% | 9 h |
| April | 6% | 24% | 2 h |
| May | Too light | 21% | – |
| June | Too light | 23% | – |
| July | Too light | 25% | – |
| August | 4% | 23% | 1 h |
| September | 10% | 20% | 8 h |
| October | 8% | 17% | 12 h |
| November | 10% | 20% | 15 h |
| December | 10% | 21% | 17 h |
Tips for Saariselkä
- 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.
- The sky is already dark here: find an open view to the north.