Aurora Borealis in Bishop Auckland
United Kingdom · 54.66°, -1.68° · geomagnetic 56.7° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Bishop Auckland
20%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Bishop Auckland 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 Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is at 56.7° geomagnetic latitude.
Auroras are typically visible here when the planetary Kp index reaches 7.
On average, there are 2.6 nights per year when conditions are suitable for viewing.
The best months for aurora viewing in Bishop Auckland are September, August, and November.
During May, June, and July, there is not enough full darkness for optimal viewing.
Bishop Auckland experiences Bortle 8 light pollution.
Areas with darker skies, such as Bortle 4, can be found 41 km west-south-west near Westmorland and Furness.
Darker skies, Bortle 5, are also available 38 km west-north-west near County Durham.
Westerton Hill is a hill located 3.7 km north-east of Bishop Auckland.
Billy Hill, another hill, is situated 10.7 km north-north-west of the town.
Pawlaw Pike, a mountain, lies 19.9 km west of Bishop Auckland. Houghton-le-Spring Rectory park is a park 24.6 km north-north-east, and Castle Eden Dene is a reserve 25.4 km east-north-east.
There have been 232 verified aurora sightings reported within 300 km of Bishop Auckland between January 2015 and December 2016.
The period from 2016 to 2026 has recorded several nights with high Kp values, including Kp 7.0 on March 20, 2026, and Kp 8.67 on January 19, 2026.
Sources: 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
Know when it is worth going outside
Revon watches the Bishop Auckland forecast and pushes an alert when the odds for tonight clear your threshold — no checking, no guessing.
Nearby towns
Forecasts for places within reach of Bishop Auckland.