Aurora Borealis in Golden Valley
United States · 45.01°, -93.35° · geomagnetic 53.6° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Golden Valley
1%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley
Aurora viewing in Golden Valley is influenced by geomagnetic activity. The aurora borealis requires a Kp index of 7 or higher to be visible from this latitude.
Golden Valley is located at 53.6° geomagnetic latitude. This means that auroral displays are typically seen at higher latitudes.
On average, there are about 3.2 nights per year when conditions are favorable for aurora viewing in Golden Valley. The period for recorded observations spans from April 2, 2016, to March 30, 2026.
The best months for aurora viewing in Golden Valley are May, September, and August. These months offer a good balance of darkness and potential auroral activity.
While these months are historically favorable, aurora visibility depends on geomagnetic conditions and clear skies.
Golden Valley experiences a Bortle 8 sky, indicating significant light pollution. This can make faint auroral displays difficult to see.
Areas with darker skies, such as near the Town of Milltown (Bortle 4) approximately 86 km to the north-east, or near Isanti (Bortle 5) about 55 km to the north, may offer better viewing conditions.
Local parks like Lions Park and Sanborn Park, as well as Ryan Lake and Twin Lakes, are situated within 5 km to the north-east of Golden Valley. Durnam Island is located about 9.2 km to the north-east.
Lions Park and Sanborn Park are local parks situated to the north-east of Golden Valley.
Ryan Lake and Twin Lakes are bodies of water also located to the north-east.
Durnam Island is an island located to the north-east of Golden Valley.
Historical records show 177 verified aurora sightings within 300 km of Golden Valley between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016.
The period from 2016 to 2026 includes several nights with significant geomagnetic activity, such as Kp 7.0 on March 20, 2026, and Kp 8.67 on January 19, 2026.
Other notable dates with high Kp values include November 12, 2025 (Kp 7.33) and November 11, 2025 (Kp 8.67).
Sources: Revon location dataset · Revon analysis of NOAA planetary Kp · Falchi 2016 World Atlas of artificial night sky brightness · GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Aurorasaurus verified positive reports
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Nearby towns
Forecasts for places within reach of Golden Valley.