Aurora Borealis in Nelson
United Kingdom · 53.83°, -2.20° · geomagnetic 56.0° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Nelson
11%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Nelson 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 10:35 UTC
Local aurora guide for Nelson
Nelson is at a geomagnetic latitude of 56.0 degrees. Auroras are typically visible at this latitude during periods of strong geomagnetic activity, indicated by a Kp index of 7 or higher.
Historically, there have been an average of 2.6 nights per year with conditions suitable for aurora viewing in this region. The record span for these observations is from 2016 to 2026.
The best months for aurora viewing in Nelson are September, August, and November. During these months, the duration of darkness is sufficient for potential aurora displays.
Conversely, May, June, and July experience periods without full darkness, which can significantly reduce the visibility of auroras.
Nelson experiences a Bortle 7 light pollution classification, indicating significant artificial light. However, areas with Bortle 4 conditions, offering darker skies, can be found approximately 19 km to the north near North Yorkshire.
The local horizon is shaped by several features. To the north-east, Colne Edge is a hill located 4.0 km away. To the west, Rigg of England is a hill 5.3 km away, and Longridge Fell, a mountain, is 21.1 km away.
Geographic features near Nelson include Colne Edge, a hill situated 4.0 km to the north-east. Rigg of England, another hill, is located 5.3 km to the west.
Further afield, Longridge Fell, classified as a mountain, lies 21.1 km to the west. The island of Great Britain is 22.7 km to the north-east, and Bird Island, also an island, is 23.0 km to the north-west.
Between 2015 and 2016, 235 verified aurora reports were recorded within a 300 km radius of Nelson. The period of record for viable aurora nights in the region spans from 2016 to 2026.
Notable qualifying nights within this record span include March 20, 2026 (Kp 7.0), January 20, 2026 (Kp 7.67), and January 19, 2026 (Kp 8.67). Additional qualifying nights occurred on November 12, 2025 (Kp 7.33) and November 11, 2025 (Kp 8.67).
Sources: 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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