Aurora Borealis in Bloomington
United States · 44.84°, -93.30° · geomagnetic 53.5° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Bloomington
1%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Bloomington needs Kp 7 to see anything at all, and tonight the forecast peaks at Kp 4.7. 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 Bloomington
Bloomington is located at 53.5° geomagnetic latitude. Auroras are typically visible when the planetary Kp index reaches 7.
On average, there are about 3.2 nights per year in Bloomington where the Kp index is expected to reach this threshold.
The best months for aurora viewing in Bloomington are May, September, and August. These months offer a good balance of darkness and potential aurora activity.
Bloomington experiences a Bortle 9 sky, indicating significant light pollution. For darker skies, areas like the Town of Trimbelle (Bortle 5) are approximately 64 km east, and the Town of Stockholm (Bortle 4) is about 91 km east-southeast.
Local parks such as Fremont Park and Donaldson Park are within 3.1 km north of Bloomington. Wood Lake is 4.0 km north, and Lake Edina is 5.0 km northwest. Pilot Knob, a mountain, is located 11.1 km east-northeast.
Fremont Park is a park located 3.0 km north of Bloomington. Donaldson Park, another park, is situated 3.1 km north.
Wood Lake is a lake 4.0 km north of Bloomington, and Lake Edina is a lake 5.0 km northwest. Pilot Knob is a mountain 11.1 km east-northeast of the city.
Between 2016 and 2026, there have been approximately 3.2 nights per year with conditions suitable for aurora viewing in Bloomington.
Historical records show verified sightings, with specific qualifying nights noted, such as March 20, 2026 (Kp 7.0), January 20, 2026 (Kp 7.67), and January 19, 2026 (Kp 8.67).
Sources: Revon analysis of NOAA planetary Kp · Falchi 2016 World Atlas of artificial night sky brightness · GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
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Nearby towns
Forecasts for places within reach of Bloomington.