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Northern Lights Forecast

Northern Lights Tonight in Gillette, Wyoming

Live visibility odds for Gillette, combining the current geomagnetic Kp index with real local cloud cover, not just one or the other.

Tonight's chance of seeing aurora
4%
Unlikely
LocationGillette, Wyoming
Geomagnetic Forecast · NOAA / NASA
Magnetic latitude51.8°
Confirmed Kp right nowKp 2.7
Weather Forecast · NWS (US)
Clear-sky estimate85% clear skies
For entertainment purposes only, not a guarantee of visibility. Don't plan travel or spending around this number alone.

What Kp do you need in Gillette?

Naked eye
Kp 7.5
One or two nights in a typical year
Camera, long exposure
Kp 3.5
Several nights most months
Magnetic latitude
51.8°
Not the same as the 44.3° on a map — this is what actually decides it

Those frequencies are how often the geomagnetic threshold itself is reached, before weather. Cloud cover, moonlight and local light pollution all cut into it, which is why the live score at the top of this page multiplies the geomagnetic odds by tonight's actual sky over Gillette.

Which way to look from Gillette

Face north. From Gillette the auroral oval sits well to the north, so activity shows up as a glow low on the northern horizon rather than overhead — which means a clear, unobstructed northern view matters more here than total darkness does.

Best time of year

Aurora season in Gillette runs from late August through April, for the simple reason that you need genuine darkness and summer nights are too short and too bright. Activity clusters around the equinoxes — late September and late March are statistically the most active weeks of the year, an effect of how Earth's magnetic field lines up with the solar wind at those points in the orbit.

Will I see the aurora in Gillette tonight?

Right now, Gillette has a 4% chance based on tonight's real conditions: Kp 2.7 and 85% clear skies. Unlikely. This updates live, so check back closer to dark for the most accurate read, especially if the sky is currently cloudy where you are.

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A good Kp forecast isn't the whole story. See what else actually determines whether you'll see it →

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