The Northern lights (aurora borealis) can be seen in Lofoten from September until April. If you are in Lofoten, there is no need to go anywhere else to see northern lights. Statistically, spring (March/April) and autumn (September/October) have the highest level of aurora activity.
All the photos except the last one on this page are taken just outside the house.
The lights are very high up in the sky (100 to 200 kilometers) and visible from anywhere with a clear view of the sky and no light pollution (as in towns), so you don’t have to “chase” them (it would be almost like “chasing” the moon). You can see them from anywhere where there are no mountains blocking the view, or street/city lights that make it difficult.
Gimsøy is among the best places in Lofoten to see the northern lights. There is practically no light pollution at Gimsøy, and especially on the western side where Lillevik is located, and wide views of the sky, mountains and ocean. See this light pollution map for more details.
There are northern lights almost every night, and the challenge is always the weather. It’s possible to see northern lights almost every night when there is a clear sky – but you have to be looking for it at the right time. The lights may be very faint and barely visible some nights, and very strong and “dancing” with different colors other nights. It can change in minutes, or even seconds.
Most aurora apps rely heavily on the Kp index,, but the Kp index is not important in Lofoten, as Lofoten is under the “aurora oval”. A high Kp index means that northern lights can be seen further south, but that’s irrelevant if you are in Lofoten. NRK explains it well in this story (it’s in Norwegian).
The Norwegian weather service Yr has some good information about northern lights. You can use yr.no or the Yr app. Here’s the forecast for Lillevik – scroll down to “aurora”.
This photo is taken 100 meters from the doorstep:
If you stay at Lillevik there is no reason to go on an organized “aurora hunting” tour, as they often drive to Gimsøy anyway. Our best tips are:
- Go out and look! The northern lights can appear and disappear in a few minutes. Don’t give up if you don’t see anything for a while, and don’t sit inside checking apps.
- Check the weather forecast and cloud coverage for Lillevik on yr.no, but the weather in Lofoten changes quickly, and the forecast is not always accurate.
- There are many apps, but none of them can give any guarantee.
Some good northern lights spots near Lillevik:
- Look out of the panorama windows. Check the 30-90 minute forecast mentioned below.
- Just go outside the house. The photos on this page are all taken less than 100 meters from Lillevik.
- Vinje beach, a 8 minute drive from Lillevik.
- On the marshland at the center of Gimsøy, with view of Hoven – also an 8 minute drive from Lillevik.
The sun’s 11-year cycle means that there is a solar maximum in 2024-2027, and extra strong northern lights: Space Weather Prediction Center: Solar Cycle Progression.
SWPC also have 30-90 minute aurora forecast. Here’s one example, with Norway marked in red:
If there are no northern lights you can still see stars, and there are a lot of them! Nights with new moon are best for seeing stars. The Milky Way is visible in the northern hemisphere from March to September, so with some luck you may see both northern lights and the Milky Way at the same time.
See also: Adventures and activities in Lofoten: Hiking, fishing, skiing, surfing, kayaking, diving, etc.
