Check tonight’s local reading →
This is not a solar-storm explainer. It is how to use a dark north sky, and how to read this site’s GO / MAYBE / NO.
Face north, not the brightest thing in town
From the Lower 48, aurora often sits on the northern horizon, not overhead. A south-facing slope, a downtown skyline, or a mountain wall to the north can hide it. Leave the city if the local page says to. We do not list unverified parking lots.
You need real darkness
Streetlight and twilight both wash out a weak oval. On this site, slots with the sun higher than −12° are marked not dark yet and do not count toward GO. A phone screen in your eyes is almost as bad as a porch light. Give your eyes time.
Wait 30–60 minutes
Aurora is not a scheduled firework. If the window is open, stay for half an hour to an hour. Short spikes get missed by people who step out for five minutes and leave.
A phone may show color first
Cameras collect light longer than your eyes. A green smear on a phone is not a guarantee you will see a curtain. It is a hint to keep looking. Do not treat a photo as a probability.
How to read GO / MAYBE / NO
- GO — conditions line up well enough to try.
- MAYBE — possible, with a named obstacle (clouds, horizon-only, city glow).
- NO — not worth a special trip tonight. The oval may be out of reach, or the sky socked in.
- UNKNOWN — we are not guessing. Data is missing or stale.
We do not print a percent chance. A national Kp number is not a local yes. Open your city or state page for the window and the main issue.
Related: Best time · Where tonight · How we decide