Aurora Borealis in Swanscombe
United Kingdom · 51.45°, 0.31° · geomagnetic 53.3° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Swanscombe
1%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Swanscombe 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 10:35 UTC
Local aurora guide for Swanscombe
The aurora forecast uses a Kp 7 threshold for potential viewing. This indicates a moderate geomagnetic storm.
At 53.3° geomagnetic latitude, viewing opportunities are less frequent than at higher latitudes.
On average, there are about 2.7 nights per year with conditions suitable for aurora viewing.
The best months for aurora viewing in this region are September, August, and November.
During June and July, there is insufficient darkness for aurora viewing.
Swanscombe is rated Bortle 7, indicating significant light pollution.
Areas with darker skies, such as Bortle 4, can be found approximately 48 km east.
Notable horizon features include Sandy Lane Pit to the north-west, Cold Harbour Point to the north-west, and Lower Hope Point to the east-north-east.
Potential viewing locations are influenced by the horizon. Features like Sandy Lane Pit, an 8.1 km hill to the north-west, and Cold Harbour Point, a headland 10.6 km to the north-west, shape the view.
Further east, Lower Hope Point is a headland 13.3 km away, and Mucking Flat Lighthouse (historical) is a lighthouse 13.8 km to the east-north-east.
Langdon Hill, a hill 14.0 km to the north-north-east, also affects the local horizon.
Between 2016 and 2026, there were an average of 2.7 nights per year suitable for aurora viewing.
Historical records show verified sightings in the wider region.
Notable qualifying nights in the recent past include March 20, 2026 (Kp 7.0), January 20, 2026 (Kp 7.67), January 19, 2026 (Kp 8.67), 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)
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Nearby towns
Forecasts for places within reach of Swanscombe.