Glasgow, UK · magnetic latitude 53.1°
Northern lights in Glasgow: tonight’s chance
Glasgow sits under Atlantic weather; the Campsie Fells and the lochs to the north hold its best aurora views.
Tonight at Glasgow, UK
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Reading the SWPC Kp forecast and the cloud forecast…
| Kp forecast during the dark hours | not yet forecast |
|---|---|
| Kp needed here | 6.4 (G2 moderate) |
| Cloud cover in the dark hours | loading |
| Dark sky (Sun 18° down) | 8:24 PM to 5:42 AM GMT+1 |
| Moon | 11% lit |
| Right now, OVATION (30 to 90 min) | loading or unavailable |
| Magnetic latitude (AACGM) | 53.1° |
Hour by hour, GMT+1
7 PM
Kp –
– ☁
No
8 PM
Kp –
– ☁
No
9 PM
Kp –
– ☁
No
10 PM
Kp –
– ☁
No
11 PM
Kp –
– ☁
No
12 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
1 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
2 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
3 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
4 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
5 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
6 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
Rules checked · Built by Radif Partners · How the answer works
- Kp to see it from Glasgow
- 6.4
- Storm level needed
- G2 (Moderate)
- Kp for aurora overhead
- 6.5
- Most clear dark hours
- November
Glasgow needs a planetary Kp of about 6.4 to see the northern lights on this site's view line, a G2 (Moderate) storm on the NOAA scale, almost the same as Edinburgh. In the AACGM model the city lies at 53.1 degrees magnetic latitude, and the aurora reaches overhead around Kp 6.5. The threshold is cautious: from a dark, north-facing spot, smaller storms can show a faint glow that the tool rates as maybe. What makes Glasgow harder than its latitude suggests is the weather. Atlantic fronts reach the west of Scotland first, and the NASA POWER cloud amount ranges from 71% in April to 81% in January. In May, June and July there is no full darkness; mid-December gives 12.3 hours. By clear dark hours, November, December and February lead.
The view from the Campsies
Glasgow fills the Clyde valley, and its glow spreads far across the surrounding hills. The closest escape to the north is the line of the Campsie Fells and the Kilpatrick Hills, a short drive from the city centre. From their slopes the view north crosses the Fintry hills and the Carse of Stirling toward the Highlands, with far fewer lights than the valley behind. On a G2 or G3 night, a lay-by on the Crow Road over the Campsies, or a high point near Fintry, is the classic quick option. Farther north, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs offer genuinely dark skies, though the mountains around the lochs close part of the northern horizon.
What Kp does this town need?
Kp to see aurora from here
6.4
| Magnetic latitude (AACGM) | 53.1° |
| Kp for aurora overhead | 6.5 |
| Storm level | G2 Moderate |
| How often that level comes | about 360 days per 11-year cycle |
View line: the more southern of the SWPC oval rule and the NOAA G scale latitudes at each Kp.
Galloway, south of the city
Galloway Forest Park, about two hours south, became the first dark sky park in the United Kingdom in 2009, as Forestry and Land Scotland describes. Its skies are among the darkest in Britain, which helps with any faint glow, but the aurora sits to the north, toward the Glasgow conurbation's light, so the best spots there look north from high ground in the park. For a storm that is clearly strong, the darkness of Galloway can be worth the extra drive.
Clyde coast and the islands
West of the city, the Firth of Clyde opens toward Arran and Bute. Its shores mostly face south and west, away from the aurora, but the north end of Bute and the hills above the Cowal shore look north over dark, thinly settled country. A ferry crossing makes for a long evening; the hills north of the city remain the practical choice on most storm nights.
Atlantic timing
West of Scotland weather changes fast. A forecast overcast evening can clear after midnight as a front moves east, and the reverse is common too. The hour strip of the tool reads the MET Norway forecast for the coordinates you give, so it is worth checking a point north of the city as well as Glasgow itself. On December 15 the full darkness runs from 6:04 PM to 6:20 AM, which leaves plenty of time for a front to pass. For the east of Scotland see the Edinburgh page, and for the country as a whole the UK page.
Kp needed around Glasgow
| Town | Magnetic latitude | Kp to see it | Kp overhead | Storm level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lerwick | 57.9° | 4.1 | 4.1 | no storm |
| Kirkwall | 56.6° | 4.7 | 4.7 | G1 (Minor) |
| Thurso | 56.2° | 4.9 | 4.9 | G1 (Minor) |
| Inverness | 55.0° | 5.5 | 5.5 | G1 (Minor) |
| Aberdeen | 54.5° | 5.8 | 5.8 | G2 (Moderate) |
| Edinburgh | 53.1° | 6.4 | 6.4 | G2 (Moderate) |
| Glasgow | 53.1° | 6.4 | 6.5 | G2 (Moderate) |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 51.9° | 6.6 | 7.0 | G2 (Moderate) |
| Belfast | 51.7° | 6.7 | 7.2 | G2 (Moderate) |
| Manchester | 50.2° | 7.0 | 7.9 | G3 (Strong) |
| Cardiff | 47.8° | 7.4 | beyond 9 | G3 (Strong) |
| London | 47.7° | 7.5 | beyond 9 | G3 (Strong) |
Darkness and clouds by month in Glasgow
| Month | Dark hours | Dark sky, 15th | Mean cloud | Clear dark hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11.8 h | 6:31 PM to 6:20 AM | 81% | 2.3 h |
| February | 10.2 h | 7:25 PM to 5:35 AM | 76% | 2.4 h |
| March | 8.0 h | 8:25 PM to 4:24 AM | 75% | 2.0 h |
| April | 4.7 h | 10:56 PM to 3:36 AM | 71% | 1.4 h |
| May | none | – | 71% | 0.0 h |
| June | none | – | 79% | 0.0 h |
| July | none | – | 79% | 0.0 h |
| August | 2.8 h | 11:56 PM to 2:47 AM | 78% | 0.6 h |
| September | 6.9 h | 9:46 PM to 4:38 AM | 75% | 1.7 h |
| October | 9.4 h | 8:20 PM to 5:45 AM | 76% | 2.3 h |
| November | 11.4 h | 6:21 PM to 5:42 AM | 76% | 2.7 h |
| December | 12.3 h | 6:04 PM to 6:20 AM | 78% | 2.7 h |