Comparison
Aalborg vs Kristiansand for the northern lights
Answer
Side by side
| Figure | Aalborg | Kristiansand |
|---|---|---|
| Dipole latitude | 57.1° | 58.4° |
| Kp for the oval edge overhead | Kp 5 | Kp 4 |
| Civil night, December 15 | 15.5 h | 15.7 h |
| Dark-season days | 333 | 318 |
| Nights with no civil darkness | 0 | 0 |
| Dark-month cloud, NASA POWER | 75% | 77% |
| Solar midnight, December 15 | 00:15 | 00:23 |
Aalborg sits at 57.1 degrees geomagnetic. By SWPC's rule the average oval edge is overhead at Kp 5, and aurora is usually visible on the northern horizon at G1 (Kp 5) or less. Kristiansand sits at 58.4 degrees geomagnetic. By SWPC's rule the average oval edge is overhead at Kp 4, and aurora is usually visible on the northern horizon at G1 (Kp 5) or less.
Civil night month by month
On December 15 Aalborg has 15.5 hours of civil night and Kristiansand 15.7. Across the 15th of each month, Aalborg is darker in 5 months and Kristiansand in 4. The widest gap comes in June, when Aalborg has 0.7 more hours.
| Month | Aalborg | Kristiansand | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14.9 h | 15.1 h | -0.2 h |
| February | 13.0 h | 13.0 h | +0.0 h |
| March | 10.8 h | 10.8 h | +0.0 h |
| April | 8.1 h | 8.0 h | +0.1 h |
| May | 5.5 h | 5.1 h | +0.4 h |
| June | 3.6 h | 2.9 h | +0.7 h |
| July | 4.6 h | 4.1 h | +0.5 h |
| August | 7.2 h | 6.9 h | +0.3 h |
| September | 9.8 h | 9.8 h | +0.0 h |
| October | 12.2 h | 12.3 h | -0.1 h |
| November | 14.4 h | 14.5 h | -0.1 h |
| December | 15.5 h | 15.7 h | -0.2 h |
Season and midnight sun
Aalborg has some civil darkness every night of 2026, and its dark season, 4 or more evening hours of civil night, lasts 333 days. Kristiansand has some civil darkness every night of 2026, and its dark season, 4 or more evening hours of civil night, lasts 318 days.
Distance, cloud and time zones
The two towns are 167 km apart by great circle. In the dark months Aalborg averages 75% cloud and Kristiansand 77%, from NASA POWER's 2001 to 2020 record. Aalborg's best month by civil night times clear sky is September. Kristiansand's best month by civil night times clear sky is November. Time zones: Europe/Copenhagen and Europe/Oslo.
For tonight, open the live pages for Aalborg and Kristiansand, which carry the live OVATION cell.
Questions
- Is Aalborg or Kristiansand better for the northern lights?
- Kristiansand sits closer to the oval, at 58.4 degrees geomagnetic against 57.1. Darkness, cloud and your dates decide the rest; the tables on this page show both towns month by month.
- Which has longer nights in December, Aalborg or Kristiansand?
- Kristiansand, with 15.7 hours of civil night on December 15 against 15.5 in Aalborg.
- What Kp do Aalborg and Kristiansand need?
- By SWPC's rule of 66 degrees at Kp 0 and 2 degrees per step, Aalborg needs about Kp 5 and Kristiansand Kp 4 for the average oval edge to sit overhead.
- When is it too light for aurora in Aalborg and Kristiansand?
- Aalborg: never, every night has civil darkness. Kristiansand: never, every night has civil darkness.
- Which is clearer, Aalborg or Kristiansand?
- Aalborg, with 75% mean cloud in the months with 4 hours or more of civil night against 77% in Kristiansand (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020).
Sources and verification
- IGRF-14 coefficients, NOAA NCEIhttps://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/IAGA/vmod/coeffs/igrf14coeffs.txt
- SunCalchttps://github.com/mourner/suncalc
- GeoNameshttps://www.geonames.org/export/
- NASA POWER climatologyhttps://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/climatology/
- NOAA SWPC, Tips on viewing the aurorahttps://www.spaceweather.gov/content/tips-viewing-aurora
Quoted figures last checked against their sources on 2026-09-30; next review 2026-12-31. Computed figures come from SunCalc and the IGRF-14 dipole as described in the methodology. Every quote is listed in the sources ledger.