Aurora Borealis in Belfast
United Kingdom · 54.60°, -5.93° · geomagnetic 57.3° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Belfast
36%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Belfast needs Kp 7 to see anything at all, and tonight the forecast peaks at Kp 4.9. Short of the threshold, which is what most nights look like here.
Get the full 30-night forecast in Revon
Updated 2026-09-08 10:36 UTC
Local aurora guide for Belfast
Aurora activity is measured by the Kp index. A Kp of 7 is the minimum level required for aurora to be visible from Belfast.
Belfast is located at 57.3° geomagnetic latitude. This latitude means that aurora visible from this location is less frequent than from higher latitudes.
On average, there are 2.6 nights per year with sufficient aurora activity for viewing in Belfast. The period between 2016 and 2026 has recorded these viable nights.
The best months for aurora viewing in Belfast are September, August, and November. These months offer a good balance of darkness and potential aurora activity.
During May, June, and July, Belfast experiences periods without full darkness, which can make aurora viewing challenging.
Belfast has a Bortle scale rating of 8, indicating significant light pollution. This can obscure fainter aurora displays.
Areas with darker skies, such as Bortle 4 conditions, can be found approximately 20 km north-north-east near Mid and East Antrim District.
Several locations around Belfast offer varied horizons. These include Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve to the north-east, Cave Hill to the north-west, Divis to the west-north-west, Collinward to the north-north-west, and Grey Point to the north-east.
Belfast Lough RSPB Reserve is located 4.9 km north-east of Belfast.
Cave Hill, a notable hill, is situated 5.9 km north-north-west of Belfast.
Divis, a mountain, lies 6.2 km west-north-west of Belfast. Collinward, another hill, is 6.6 km north-north-west of the city. Grey Point, a headland, is 14.9 km north-east of Belfast.
There have been 256 verified aurora reports within 300 km of Belfast between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016.
The period from 2016 to 2026 includes several nights with significant aurora activity. Notable dates include March 20, 2026 (Kp 7.0), January 20, 2026 (Kp 7.67), January 19, 2026 (Kp 8.67), November 12, 2025 (Kp 7.33), and November 11, 2025 (Kp 8.67).
Sources: Revon location dataset · Revon analysis of NOAA planetary Kp · Solar declination and hour-angle calculation · Falchi 2016 World Atlas of artificial night sky brightness · GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Aurorasaurus verified positive reports
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Nearby towns
Forecasts for places within reach of Belfast.