Aurora Borealis in Bishops Stortford
United Kingdom · 51.87°, 0.16° · geomagnetic 53.7° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Bishops Stortford
1%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Bishops Stortford 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.
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Updated 2026-09-08 10:36 UTC
Local aurora guide for Bishops Stortford
Bishops Stortford is at 53.7° geomagnetic latitude. Auroras are typically visible at this latitude during periods of strong geomagnetic activity, specifically when the Kp index reaches 7.
On average, there are about 2.7 nights per year when conditions are suitable for aurora viewing. These opportunities are spread across the period from April 2, 2016, to March 30, 2026.
The best months for aurora viewing in Bishops Stortford are September, August, and November. These months offer a good balance of darkness and potential auroral activity.
During June and July, there is no full darkness due to the high angle of the sun. This limits viewing opportunities during the summer months.
Bishops Stortford experiences a Bortle 7 sky, indicating significant light pollution. Areas with darker skies, such as Bortle 4 conditions, are located about 71 km south-east, and Bortle 5 conditions are found near Braintree, approximately 27 km east-north-east.
Notable elevated terrain and islands offering potentially clearer horizons include Chrishall Common, 15.5 km north-north-west, and Duck Island, 16.8 km north-north-east. Great Chishill, a hill, is 18.2 km north-north-west, and Riddy Island is 31.6 km north. Harlow Town Park, a park, is 11.1 km south-south-west.
Chrishall Common, a hill located 15.5 km north-north-west of Bishops Stortford, offers a potential vantage point.
Duck Island is situated 16.8 km north-north-east of Bishops Stortford.
Great Chishill, another hill, is 18.2 km north-north-west of Bishops Stortford. Riddy Island lies 31.6 km north of Bishops Stortford. Harlow Town Park is a park located 11.1 km south-south-west of Bishops Stortford.
There have been 55 verified aurora sightings reported within 300 km of Bishops Stortford between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016.
The historical record includes qualifying nights such as 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 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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