Map legend
| AuroraWatch UK magnetometer. Background colour indicates alert status of magnetometer. Background colour of cluster indicates the most common status for the magnetometers in that cluster. | |
| All-sky camera or webcam. Cameras may belong to AuroraWatch UK or to third parties (and used with permission). | |
| Aurora report from Aurorasaurus. Thumbs up: aurora seen. Thumbs down: no aurora. Cloud: the sky was cloudy or there was too much light pollution for an aurora to be seen.
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| Site for stargazing or photography. Note that not all stargazing sites will be suitable for auroral photography. | |
| Site of recent aurora photograph. Recent images shown from AuroraWatch UK Flickr pool. |
More information on the map and the different layers available here.
Local information
Aurorasaurus Reports
We have collaborated with the Aurorasaurus citizen science project to bring real-time aurora reports to our aurora map. These reports will help you determine if the aurora is being seen from anywhere in the UK. We keep sightings on the map for one day; last night’s sightings are cleared once darkness falls on the next day.
Read more about the Aurorasaurus collaboration here and submit your own report to Aurorasaurus to see it appear on the map!
Aurora Photography
If you know of any good locations for photographing the aurora please contact us; we are looking for specific sites with picturesque horizons, interesting foregrounds or opportunities for framing a shot in a unique way. Any details you can include about the site would be very helpful.
For top tips on how to photograph the aurora and to determine if you’ve actually captured the aurora in a photo, visit our blog.
Notes on Ovation aurora forecast
The Ovation forecast is provided by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center and estimates the likelihood of an aurora being visible directly overhead in 30 minutes time. The more opaque (darker) the green, the more likely it is that an aurora will be visible overhead. More details here.