Aurora Borealis in Vancouver
Canada · 49.25°, -123.12° · geomagnetic 54.6° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Vancouver
2%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Vancouver 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 10:35 UTC
Local aurora guide for Vancouver
Vancouver is located at 54.6° geomagnetic latitude. Auroras are typically visible when the planetary Kp index reaches 7 or higher.
With an average of 3.1 viable nights per year, patience is key for aurora viewing in this region. The record span for observations is from April 2, 2016, to March 30, 2026.
The best months for aurora viewing in Vancouver are May, September, and August. These months offer a good balance of darkness and potential aurora activity.
June experiences no full darkness, which can significantly reduce viewing opportunities during that month.
Vancouver has a Bortle rating of 7, indicating significant light pollution. However, areas with darker skies, such as near Electoral Area A (Bortle 4), are located about 29 km north-north-east.
Several locations offer varied horizons. Vanier Park, Elsje Point, Kitsilano Beach, Hadden Park Dog Beach, and Kitsilano Point provide different vantage points around the city.
Vanier Park, a park located 3.6 km north-north-west of Vancouver, offers a potential viewing area.
Elsje Point, a headland 3.8 km north-north-west of Vancouver, and Kitsilano Point, a headland 3.9 km north-west of Vancouver, are also noted.
Kitsilano Beach and Hadden Park Dog Beach, both beaches situated 3.8 km north-west of Vancouver, provide additional locations with varying horizons.
Vancouver has a history of aurora sightings, with 56 verified reports recorded between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016, within a 300 km radius.
Historically, nights with sufficient geomagnetic activity (Kp 7.0 or higher) have occurred periodically. Examples include March 20, 2026 (Kp 7.0), January 20, 2026 (Kp 7.67), and January 19, 2026 (Kp 8.67).
Further qualifying nights include November 12, 2025 (Kp 7.33) and November 11, 2025 (Kp 8.67).
Sources: Revon location dataset · 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
Know when it is worth going outside
Revon watches the Vancouver 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 Vancouver.