Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Northern lights in Saint-Étienne tonight

Real-time aurora forecast for Saint-Étienne (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) - latitude 45.44° N, estimated Kp threshold 9.

Kp index

6.3

moderate

Hemispheric power

North35GW

South38GW

Source: app.pulsar-si.com

Tonight in Saint-Étienne

Very unlikely

Based on Kp 6.3 and Saint-Étienne's latitude.

Seeing the northern lights from Saint-Étienne

Saint-Étienne, at 45.4° N in the Massif Central, is flanked by the Pilat to the south and the Forez mountains to the west. Auroras here are rare (Kp 7.5+ needed), but the immediate proximity of dark massifs offsets the urban pollution. The Pilat is one of the closest "dark skies" in southern France, just 25 km from the centre.

Observation conditions in Saint-Étienne

Bortle 8 in the centre. The Pilat regional park (Bortle 4, 25 km south) and the Crêt de la Perdrix (1432 m, Bortle 4) are remarkable. The Forez mountains (Bortle 5, 60 km west) and the Aubrac, further out, offer altitude skies. Avoid the Saint-Étienne basin and the Lyon axis, saturated with light pollution.

Recent auroras from Saint-Étienne

10-11 May 2024 (Kp 9): aurora from the Crêt de l'Œillon and the Pilat, red skies photographed. 24 March 2024 (Kp 8): sightings from the Forez. 5 November 2023 (Kp 7): faint aurora visible from the Crêt de la Perdrix.

Local conditions

Light pollution

Bortle 6 of 9

SQM 19.17 mag/arcsec²

Nearest darker sky

Saint-Étienne

2 km · Bortle 4

Frequently asked questions

Can you see the northern lights from Saint-Étienne?

Yes, but rarely. Typically a Kp index of ≥ 9 is needed for the aurora to become visible from Saint-Étienne (latitude 45.4° 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 Saint-Étienne?

The approximate Kp threshold for Saint-Étienne is 9. Below that, auroras stay confined to high latitudes (Norway, Scotland). Above it, they gradually extend southward. A Kp of 10 gives a fair chance, 11 a strong one.

When is the best time to watch from Saint-Étienne?

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 Saint-Étienne offers better conditions?

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

Nearby cities

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