Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Northern lights in Besançon tonight

Real-time aurora forecast for Besançon (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) - latitude 47.24° N, estimated Kp threshold 8.9.

Kp index

6.3

moderate

Hemispheric power

North35GW

South38GW

Source: app.pulsar-si.com

Tonight in Besançon

Very unlikely

Based on Kp 6.3 and Besançon's latitude.

Seeing the northern lights from Besançon

Besançon, at 47.2° N, is nestled in a loop of the Doubs, surrounded by hills. The northern horizon from the centre is partly blocked: heading to the heights or rural countryside is essential. Auroras become visible from Kp 7. The nearby Jura forests offer excellent skies, dropping to Bortle 3 on the plateaus.

Observation conditions in Besançon

Bortle 6 over Besançon. The Joux and Chaux forests (Bortle 4, 30-50 km east) are remarkable. The Risoux plateau (Bortle 3, 80 km east) approaches the best Jura skies. Avoid the deep valley floors in favour of the high plateaus, which sit above the thermal inversion layer.

Recent auroras from Besançon

10-11 May 2024 (Kp 9): red aurora visible from the Lomont plateau and the Jura forests. 24 March 2024 (Kp 8): sightings from the Joux. 5 November 2023 (Kp 7): confirmed observations on the Risoux plateau.

Local conditions

Light pollution

Bortle 5 of 9

SQM 19.91 mag/arcsec²

Nearest darker sky

Les Chaprais

2 km · Bortle 2

Frequently asked questions

Can you see the northern lights from Besançon?

Yes, but rarely. Typically a Kp index of ≥ 8.9 is needed for the aurora to become visible from Besançon (latitude 47.2° N). Major geomagnetic storms (Kp 8-9) that reach this latitude happen only a handful of times per 11-year solar cycle.

What Kp index is needed to see auroras from Besançon?

The approximate Kp threshold for Besançon is 8.9. Below that, auroras stay confined to high latitudes (Norway, Scotland). Above it, they gradually extend southward. A Kp of 9.9 gives a fair chance, 10.9 a strong one.

When is the best time to watch from Besançon?

Auroras are a nighttime phenomenon, best observed between roughly 10 PM and 2 AM local time, when the geomagnetic pole is tilted towards the Earth's night side. In practice, peaks depend on when a coronal mass ejection arrives - activity can spike at any hour.

Where around Besançon offers better conditions?

Move at least 40-60 km north of Besançon to escape urban light pollution and gain 1-2 magnitudes of limiting magnitude.

Nearby cities

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

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