The Northern Lights are on many people’s bucket lists for obvious reasons. The natural phenomenon was on show across large parts of Norway on Sunday. 

A forecast of KP7 means that the lights will be visible over large parts of the country on Monday evening too, providing skies remain clear and stargazers are far enough from any light pollution. 

We’ve put together this handy guides on what you need to know about spotting the Northern Lights.

If you live in northern Norway, it’s mostly about being patient, and the lights will eventually appear. The further north you are, the better your chances of seeing the lights, as they only appear around the Earth’s magnetic poles.

Factors such as solar activity and the weather forecast will also impact your chances to see the Northern Lights. If the sky is overcast, you will likely be left disappointed, for obvious reasons.

In places like Oslo, the lights appear rarely but it is not unheard of and can happen a few times a year. The good news is that the lights will be more visible over the next few years due to increased solar activity. This means the lights will be more common, much further south. 

Predicting when the Northern Lights will be visible is complex, but there are a few ways you can improve your chances.

Keep an eye on websites such as the University of Alaska’s Aurora Forecast, which naturally doesn’t focus on Norway but can still give you a good idea. The Space Weather Prediction Center and SpaceWeather Live are another two reliable websites.

To make the most of the information these sites provide, you’ll need to learn a little bit about the Northern Lights themselves. However, you will by no means need to become an expert in solar activity. Instead, you will just need to be familiar with something called the “KP Index”.

The northern parts of the Earth are divided into KP zones. The zones range from one to nine. For example, Tromsø, in the north, is in KP1 and Oslo in the southeast is in KP5. The stronger the geomagnetic activity, the higher the KP number, and the further south the lights can be seen. So, if, say, a KP2 is predicted, then only northern Norway is likely to see the Northern Lights. Here’s a handy KP map that you can use to work out which KP zone your area is in.

If you’d rather not have to think too much about when and where to see the Northern Lights and instead have someone tell you when they are likely to be visible, it may be worth joining a Facebook group, such as Nordlysgruppa for Midt og Sør-Norge.

You can also download an app. My Aurora Forecast is popular, and there are free versions for both iPhone and Android. You can either choose what location you want to track or tell it to automatically change its settings based on where you are. The app will send you notifications when there’s a high chance of seeing the Northern Lights, but it also gives you a long-term forecast of the KP index. It also gives you percentages for how likely you are to see the Northern Lights in your area, now and in the next 30 minutes.

To have the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights, the sky will need to be clear, and you will preferably need to be away from areas with light pollution. You can check with the weather with the YR app from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.

Taking the best pictures

If you want a good photo, the essentials are a camera (preferably not a mobile phone — see below) and a tripod. Because the pictures will be taken at night, you might need to work with long exposures, and a tripod keeps the camera steady to make this easier. Any flat, stable surface will suffice, but a tripod is best.

One thing to be wary of is overexposure, which will make the lights appear unnatural when you photograph them as they will appear too bright.

Pictures on modern smartphones are still possible, provided you set up the exposure settings and use a tripod. If you have a mobile tripod or stand, you could even attempt a time-lapse with your phone while using a camera to shoot snaps. Several apps, such as Nightcap, are available and can override manufacturer settings regarding exposure and focus- improving pictures of the Northern Lights.

Another setting worth considering is manual focus. You will need to check to make sure your photos are still sharp when turning autofocus off, however.
For those who aren’t super confident about setting up their cameras for northern lights photography, there are plenty of guides online and on YouTube.