Northern lights tonight in Marquette, Michigan: unlikely
Unlikely tonight. Marquette needs about Kp 5.4; tonight's forecast reaches Kp 1.7, cloud cover 44 %. Dark from 8:03 PM to 7:09 AM, moon 33 % lit.
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Tonight in Marquette
| Local time | Cloud cover | Kp forecast | Aurora reaches the horizon? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 PM | 37 % | 1.7 | No |
| 10:00 PM | 6 % | 1.7 | No |
| 11:00 PM | 100 % | 1.7 | No |
| 12:00 AM | 100 % | 1.7 | No |
| 1:00 AM | 69 % | 1.7 | No |
| 2:00 AM | 100 % | 1.3 | No |
| 3:00 AM | 51 % | 1.3 | No |
| 4:00 AM | 0 % | 1.3 | No |
| 5:00 AM | 1 % | 1.3 | No |
| 6:00 AM | 3 % | 1.3 | No |
| 7:00 AM | 12 % | 1.3 | No |
Where to look in Marquette
At Marquette's latitude the aurora appears low on the northern horizon during geomagnetic storms (Kp 6 or more), often as a green or reddish glow rather than dancing curtains overhead. Drive away from the city lights to a place with an open view to the north – a lake shore, a field or a hilltop – and use a phone camera in night mode, which picks up color the eye misses.
A bright moon and haze both wash out a faint display; check the hourly cloud cover above and look again later in the evening, when NOAA's short-term OVATION model gives a better picture of the next hour.
Northern lights in Marquette
Can I see the northern lights in Marquette, Michigan tonight?
Unlikely: unlikely tonight. Marquette needs about Kp 5.4; the forecast for its dark hours tonight is up to Kp 1.7, with 44 % cloud cover on average.
What Kp is needed to see the aurora in Marquette, Michigan?
Marquette: about Kp 5.4 (geomagnetic latitude 55.4°).
What is the best time to see the aurora?
Usually between about 10 PM and 2 AM local time, when your part of the Earth faces the night-side of the auroral oval – but during a strong storm it can appear as soon as it is dark. Give your eyes 15–20 minutes away from screens and lights.
Why can my phone see the aurora when I can't?
A phone camera's long exposure collects far more light than the eye and sees color better in the dark. At lower latitudes a faint aurora often looks grey or white to the eye and green or pink on a 3-second phone shot – try night mode pointed north.
How accurate is the forecast?
Kp forecasts a day or more ahead come from observations of the Sun and are uncertain by a step or two; the timing of a storm's arrival can be off by many hours. The OVATION model is good for the next 30–90 minutes. Check the page again in the evening.
Nearby
Sources: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (planetary Kp index and 3-day forecast, OVATION aurora model, G-scale outlook), Open-Meteo hourly cloud cover; sun and moon computed by 77.today. The aurora is notoriously hard to forecast beyond an hour or two – treat this as a guide.