Aurora Borealis in Derry
United Kingdom · 55.00°, -7.31° · geomagnetic 57.9° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Derry
48%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Derry 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 Derry
Derry is located at 57.9° geomagnetic latitude. Auroras are typically visible at this latitude during periods of high geomagnetic activity, specifically when the Kp index reaches 7 or above.
On average, there are about 2.6 nights per year in Derry where conditions are suitable for aurora viewing. These opportunities are spread across the period from April 2, 2016, to March 30, 2026.
The darkest months in Derry are May, June, and July. However, the best months for aurora viewing are typically September, August, and November.
This means that while the summer months offer the least amount of darkness, the shoulder seasons provide a better balance for potential aurora sightings.
Derry experiences a Bortle 5 sky, indicating moderate light pollution. Areas with darker skies, such as Bortle 4, can be found approximately 34 km to the southeast.
Closer to the city, a Bortle 5 area is located about 4 km to the east, near Derry/Londonderry.
Notable features that may affect the horizon include Holywell Hill to the west, Gortnessy Hill to the east, and Culmore Point to the north-northeast.
Areas with varied horizons near Derry include Holywell Hill, a hill located 6.0 km west. Gortnessy Hill, another hill, is situated 6.1 km east.
To the north-northeast, Culmore Point is a headland 6.4 km away. Further afield, Inch Wildfowl Reserve is a wildlife reserve 10.5 km northwest, and Scalp Mountain is a mountain 10.8 km north-northwest.
Historical records show 216 verified aurora reports within a 300 km radius of Derry between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016.
The period between 2016 and 2026 includes several nights with significant geomagnetic activity, such as March 20, 2026 (Kp 7.0), January 20, 2026 (Kp 7.67), and January 19, 2026 (Kp 8.67).
Other notable dates within this span include November 12, 2025 (Kp 7.33) and November 11, 2025 (Kp 8.67).
Sources: Revon analysis of NOAA planetary Kp · Revon location dataset · 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 Derry.