Northern lights in Kirkenes tonight

Kirkenes at a glance

Kirkenes: aurora season and dark hours

The nights are dark enough for aurora from about 1 September to 10 April. They are fully dark, with the sun at least 18° below the horizon, from about 17 September to 25 March.

The midnight sun lasts from about 19 May to 25 July.

Dark hours are the hours a day when the sun is at least 12° below the horizon, dark enough for aurora. In fully dark hours the sun is at least 18° below the horizon. Both are averages over every day of the month, worked out for Kirkenes. Dates shift by about a day from year to year. You can download these figures as open data from our data sources page.

Mostly clear is the share of night-time observations (19:00–04:00) with cloud covering a quarter of the sky or less, in MET Norway's records for Kirkenes, 2001–2011. Based on data from MET Norway.

Kirkenes: clear evenings on stays of 3 to 7 nights

How often a stay had at least one mostly clear evening, by the month it starts.

An evening counts as mostly clear when cloud covers a quarter of the sky or less at the 19:00 observation (20:00 in summer time), in MET Norway's records for Kirkenes, 2001–2011. Cloudy weather often lasts for days, so we checked each stay night by night. The figures are rounded to the nearest 5%. They describe cloud only and say nothing about aurora. Based on data from MET Norway.

Kirkenes: 6 viewing spots

Only Kirkenes centre can be reached without a car or a tour.

Outside the towns, most of our spots have public parking that we checked for winter access, using Statens vegvesen's records where they exist. Some have a fee, need a booking or a ferry, or are on a road that can close in winter. The note under each spot says which.

Distances and travel times are from Kirkenes.

“Without a car” says whether you can get there and back in the evening by bus, train or on foot, with at least an hour at the spot. Where it gives a time, leave the spot by then for the last bus back. On 14 October 2026 we checked Entur's winter timetables for a weekday and a Saturday. Bus times are planned times from Entur and change. Check entur.no before you go.

Drive times are estimates at about 80% of the speed limit, rounded up to 5 minutes. Allow more time in bad weather, and check the road conditions before you go.

All 128 viewing spots in Northern Norway and Svalbard

Do you live near one of our spots? If it causes trouble for you or on the road, write to us at hello@aurorachaser.app and we will remove it.

Road cameras around Kirkenes

Statens vegvesen's road cameras update every 5 minutes. Check the road and the weather before you set off.

Questions

What does the score mean?

Each spot gets a score from 0 to 100 for every hour. 60 or more is worth going out. Until it is dark enough for aurora, the page shows tonight's best hour, marked “Forecast”. “Our pick” is the spot with the highest score, or one that is quicker to reach from Kirkenes when its score is within 5 points. When the highest score is below 25, that margin is a fifth of it. Within that margin, a town's dark spots you drive to come before its centre and airport.

Read more about how the score works.

When is the best time to see the northern lights in Kirkenes?

In MET Norway's records, February had the clearest skies. Aurora activity tends to be higher around the equinoxes, in late September and March. See the monthly table.

What time of night can you see the northern lights in Kirkenes?

Any time it is dark enough for aurora, from evening to early morning, but most often in the hours around midnight. If aurora activity stays the same all night, our score model gives the highest chance of seeing aurora here at about 22:30 Norway time (23:30 in summer time).

How many nights should you stay in Kirkenes to see the northern lights?

Plan 5 nights or more. In MET Norway's records, most 5-night stays had at least one mostly clear evening, in every month of the season. Aurora must also be active, so no number of nights makes a sighting certain. See the table of stays.

What Kp index do you need in Kirkenes?

The spots around Kirkenes lie at about 67.0° geomagnetic latitude, close to the auroral oval. Aurora is often visible here at Kp 1. On most nights, cloud and darkness matter more than Kp.

Is 2026–2027 still a good season for the northern lights in Kirkenes?

Yes. The sun's 11-year cycle peaked in 2024–2025, and the Met Office says the years after a peak can often bring strong geomagnetic storms too. At these latitudes the aurora does not need a storm, so the solar cycle matters less here than further south.

Can you see the northern lights further south during a storm?

Usually not. Only a strong geomagnetic storm brings it into view from places like the UK, Ireland or the northern US, and then usually low over the northern horizon.

Our guide for the UK

Can you see the northern lights in Kirkenes itself?

Yes, on stronger nights, though street lights hide fainter displays. Our town spot is Kirkenes centre. For fainter aurora, drive to one of our darker spots outside town.

Do you need a tour or a car in Kirkenes?

All our darker spots need a car or a guided tour. See the spot table.

How far do you need to drive from Kirkenes?

The nearest spot with a dark sky is Buholmen, 20 km from Kirkenes, about 25 min by car. Snowhotel Kirkenes, 11 km away, is closer but needs a booking.

Where can you park to watch the northern lights around Kirkenes?

In a car park, a rest area or a lay-by meant for parking. Never stop along the road, in a passing place or at a bus stop. Statens vegvesen's records show public parking open in winter at Buholmen, one of our spots around Kirkenes. Park only where parking is allowed.

Can you see the northern lights during the polar night in Kirkenes?

Yes, when the sky is clear. The sun stays below the horizon from about 27 November to 15 January, but around midday there are a few hours of twilight. On the shortest day, 21 December, it is dark enough for aurora in Kirkenes from about 15:00 to 07:00 Norway time. Polar night dates for 23 towns.

Does the moon matter?

A bright moon hides faint aurora but barely dims a strong display.

How far ahead does the forecast go?

Tonight's forecast is hour by hour. For each of the next 14 nights, AuroraChaser gives your chance of seeing aurora at least once if you look during the dark hours. Any outlook further ahead is only a rough guide to aurora activity.

Last updated: 5 November 2026