Aurora Borealis in Donaghmede
Ireland · 53.40°, -6.16° · geomagnetic 56.2° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Donaghmede
16%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Donaghmede 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 Donaghmede
Donaghmede is at 56.2° geomagnetic latitude. Auroras visible at this latitude typically require a Kp of 7 or higher.
On average, there are 2.7 nights per year in Donaghmede where conditions are suitable for aurora viewing.
The period for these observations spans from April 2, 2016, to March 30, 2026.
The best months for aurora viewing in Donaghmede are September, August, and November.
During May, June, and July, there is no full darkness, which can impact viewing conditions.
Donaghmede experiences a Bortle 6 sky, indicating moderate light pollution.
Areas with darker skies, classified as Bortle 4, can be found 16 km north-east of Donaghmede.
Notable features around Donaghmede include Portmarnock Point to the east, Portmarnock Beach and Velvet Strand to the north-east, Feltrim Hill to the north-north-west, and Irelands Eye island to the east.
Portmarnock Point, a headland, is located 3.0 km east of Donaghmede.
Portmarnock Beach and Velvet Strand are beaches situated 3.5 km and 3.7 km north-east of Donaghmede, respectively.
Feltrim Hill, a higher elevation point, is 5.1 km north-north-west of Donaghmede. Irelands Eye, an island, is 6.6 km east of Donaghmede.
Between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016, there were 138 verified aurora reports within 300 km of Donaghmede.
The record span for viable nights shows occurrences such as March 20, 2026 (Kp 7.0), January 20, 2026 (Kp 7.67), and January 19, 2026 (Kp 8.67).
Additional qualifying nights 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
Know when it is worth going outside
Revon watches the Donaghmede 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 Donaghmede.