Norway

Northern lights in Svalbard

4 viewing spots around Svalbard, chosen for a dark sky and an open view. For each one: how dark it is, which way it looks, where to park and how to get there. Poleward of the usual auroral oval: aurora is often seen towards the south, even at midday in the polar night.

Viewing spots: 4
Dark or very dark: 2
Magnetic latitude: 76.0°
Clearest dark month: March 21 % of hours clear or partly clear

Which of these spots is clear tonight, and when? Aurora Atlas scores every spot hour by hour from the cloud forecast, darkness, the moon and live aurora activity.

See tonight's live scores for Svalbard in Aurora Atlas

Viewing spots

Drive times are estimates from the middle of Svalbard by straight-line distance, as the app estimates them before it knows your route; ferries and winter closures are not counted.

Good to know in Svalbard

Aurora in the middle of the day From mid-November to late January the sun never rises in Longyearbyen, and it is dark enough around the clock to see aurora even at midday. Svalbard sits under the daytime side of the auroral oval, so look north around late morning as well as at night. Source
Outside town you need polar bear protection Anyone going outside the settlements on Svalbard must carry means of scaring off polar bears, and the Governor recommends a firearm. Visitors without that training and equipment should watch from inside Longyearbyen or join a guided tour. Source
An Arctic desert with many clear nights Svalbard’s dry Arctic climate gives more clear nights than most places under the aurora. The aurora season runs from October to March, with round-the-clock darkness during the polar night. Source