Adventdalen
Forecast18
Best around 21:00
10 km from Longyearbyen, ≈15 min
Svalbard: aurora season and dark hours
Nights with full darkness, the sun at least 18° below the horizon, return around 9 October and end around 4 March.
Polar night, when the sun stays below the horizon all day, lasts from about 27 October to 15 February (112 days).
December has the longest nights, with about 21 dark hours.
Midnight sun, when the sky never gets dark, lasts from about 19 April to 23 August. No aurora can be seen then.
Svalbard lies north of the main auroral oval, under the polar cap. In the polar night the sky stays dark enough around midday to see the daytime aurora. The app's local-activity reading, from magnetometers on the mainland, does not cover Svalbard.
Weather station records (Longyearbyen, 2001-2020): in February, the clearest month of the dark season, about 3 in 10 night-time observations found a mostly clear sky.
Station and satellite records agree: Svalbard is cloudier in October than in February and March.
| Month | Dark hours per day | Fully dark hours per day | Mostly clear |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 9.8 h | 4.7 h | 19% |
| November | 16 h | 12 h | 21% |
| December | 21 h | 15 h | 25% |
| January | 18 h | 13 h | 32% |
| February | 12 h | 8 h | 33% |
| March | 3.6 h | 0.3 h | 33% |
Dark hours per day: the hours in a day with the sun at least 12° below the horizon, dark enough for fainter aurora. Fully dark: at least 18° below. Averaged over every day of the month, from the sun's position at the region's center. Dates are approximate and shift by about a day from year to year. These figures are open data: see data sources.
Mostly clear: the share of night-time observations (19:00 to 04:00) in those records with cloud covering a quarter of the sky or less, 2001-2020. Based on data from MET Norway.
Svalbard: 4 viewing spots
2 of the 4 spots can be reached without a car: in town or next to an airport, ferry port or train station.
Darkest sky in our catalog: Camp Barentz, 15 km from town, about 20 min by car.
| Spot | From town | Sky | Without a car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longyearbyen | in town | dark | yes |
| Svalbard Airport area | 6 km, 5 min | dark | yes |
| Adventdalen | 10 km, 15 min | very dark | no |
| Camp Barentz | 15 km, 20 min | very dark | no |
Distances and drive times count from: Longyearbyen.
Drive times are typical winter driving times. Check the road conditions before you go.
Questions
What does the score mean?
The score runs from 0 to 100 for each spot and combines aurora activity, cloud cover, darkness, moonlight and light pollution.
- 80 or more: go out now.
- 60–79: a good chance.
- 40–59: possible, worth a look nearby.
- Under 40: a quiet, cloudy or bright night.
Until it is dark enough to see aurora (the sun 12° below the horizon), the number shows tonight's best hour, marked “Forecast”, unless the live score is already higher. After that it is live. “Estimated” means a data feed is missing, so the number leans on averages.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Svalbard?
Dark nights run from about 9 October to 4 March. December has the longest nights, with about 21 dark hours, but February is the clearest month of the dark season: at the weather station, 33% of night-time observations found a mostly clear sky. So February usually gives the best odds per night. Clear sky decides most nights, so check the live score above for tonight.
What Kp index do you need in Svalbard?
Svalbard lies at about 75.3° geomagnetic latitude, north of the main auroral oval, so Kp is a poor guide here. Darkness and clear sky decide most nights.
Can you see the northern lights in town?
Yes, on stronger nights, though street light hides fainter displays. Spots in town: Longyearbyen and Svalbard Airport area. For fainter aurora, head to one of the darker spots above.
Do you need a tour or a car in Svalbard?
2 of the 4 spots can be reached without a car. Outside Longyearbyen you must carry a way to scare off polar bears, and a rifle is recommended, so most visitors go with a guide.
How far do you need to drive from Longyearbyen?
Nearest spot with a very dark sky: Adventdalen, 10 km from Longyearbyen, about 15 min by car. Next: Camp Barentz, 15 km, about 20 min.
Is there polar night in Svalbard?
Yes, for about 112 days, and darker than on the mainland: in December about 21 of every 24 hours are dark enough for aurora, and the rest, about 3 hours around midday, is twilight.
Does the moon matter?
A bright moon high in the sky washes out faint aurora but not strong displays. The score in the app takes tonight's moon into account.
Figures updated 21 September 2026.
All 4 Svalbard spots with tonight's hourly score, alerts and directions: free in the app.
