Aurora Borealis in Blackwood
United Kingdom · 51.67°, -3.21° · geomagnetic 54.0° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Blackwood
2%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Blackwood 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 Blackwood
The aurora requires a Kp of 7 or higher to be visible in Blackwood. This is a strong geomagnetic storm level.
At a geomagnetic latitude of 54.0°, Blackwood is not ideally situated for frequent aurora viewing.
On average, there are about 2.7 nights per year with conditions potentially suitable for aurora viewing in this region, based on historical data from 2016 to 2026.
The best months for aurora viewing in Blackwood are September, August, and November. These months offer a good balance of darkness and potential aurora activity.
During June and July, the region experiences periods without full darkness, which can significantly reduce the chances of seeing the aurora.
Blackwood is classified as Bortle 5, indicating a suburban sky with moderate light pollution. This level can obscure fainter aurora displays.
Areas with darker skies, such as Bortle 4 near Powys (37 km north) and Bortle 5 near Blaenau Gwent (10 km north-north-west), offer better viewing conditions.
The horizon to the north-north-east is marked by Mynydd Pen-y-fan (hill, 5.6 km away), to the north-west by Craig y Felin (hill, 5.8 km away), and to the west-north-west by Mynydd Merthyr (ridge, 13.0 km away).
Mynydd Pen-y-fan, a hill located 5.6 km north-east of Blackwood, offers a potential vantage point.
Craig y Felin, another hill situated 5.8 km north-west of Blackwood, is also a nearby geographical feature.
Further afield, Mynydd Merthyr (ridge, 13.0 km west-north-west), Mynydd Llangynidr (mountain, 18.2 km north-north-west), and Sugar Loaf (mountain, 24.0 km north-north-east) are notable landscape features.
Historical records show 55 verified aurora sightings within 300 km of Blackwood between January 2015 and December 2016.
The period between 2016 and 2026 has recorded several nights with Kp values high enough for potential aurora visibility, including Kp 7.0 on March 20, 2026, and Kp 7.67 on January 20, 2026.
Other notable high-activity nights in this period include Kp 8.67 on January 19, 2026, Kp 7.33 on November 12, 2025, and Kp 8.67 on November 11, 2025.
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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Forecasts for places within reach of Blackwood.