Ohio · ET
Can You See the Northern Lights in Ohio Tonight?
NO (Cleveland area). Not worth a special trip tonight. Aurora activity is not expected to reach Ohio tonight.
NO
Not worth a special trip tonight.
Tonight’s hours (ET)
| Time | Reading | Sky |
|---|---|---|
| 1:45 AM–2:15 AM ET | NO | Clear |
| 2:15 AM–2:45 AM ET | NO | Clear |
| 2:45 AM–3:15 AM ET | NO | Clear |
| 3:15 AM–3:45 AM ET | NO | Clear |
| 3:45 AM–4:15 AM ET | NO | Clear |
Rest of the night
| 4:15 AM–4:45 AM ET | NO | Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 4:45 AM–5:15 AM ET | NO | Clear |
| 5:15 AM–5:45 AM ET | NO | Clear |
| 5:45 AM–6:15 AM ET | not dark yet | — |
| 6:15 AM–6:45 AM ET | not dark yet | — |
Why this verdict
- Aurora reach
- Aurora activity is not expected to reach Ohio tonight.
- Clouds
- Clear
- Darkness
- —
- Moon
- —
- City glow
- Cleveland–Akron and Columbus are bright. The Lake Erie shore can be slightly better if you look north over water, but the urban skyglow still dominates near the cities.
- Data live
- Live reading, not a full local guide.
What to do
- Get out of Columbus. Northern Ohio near Lake Erie is the realistic part of the state. Look north over the lake from a dark stretch of shoreline, not from downtown Cleveland.
- Face north.
- Give your eyes 30–60 minutes in the dark.
- A phone camera may pick up a faint display before your eyes do.
Other points in Ohio
- ToledoNO
- ColumbusNO
In this state
Northern Ohio (Cleveland, Toledo, the lake) is meaningfully closer to the oval than Columbus and Cincinnati. Southern Ohio is an extreme-event location only.
Nearby
Local FAQ
Can you see the northern lights in Columbus tonight?
Columbus sits well south of Cleveland magnetically. A night that is only maybe in northern Ohio is usually a no in Columbus. Those queries are answered on this state page, not a separate Columbus URL.
Is looking over Lake Erie enough?
A north-facing lake horizon helps a little because there is less ground light in that direction. It does not cancel Cleveland’s skyglow. You still want distance from the city and a strong storm.
How often does Ohio actually get aurora?
Most nights: no. Ohio is an event location. Strong geomagnetic storms are the nights that matter; routine Kp 3–4 nights are not.