Comparison
Bergen vs Ålesund for the northern lights
Answer
Side by side
| Figure | Bergen | Ålesund |
|---|---|---|
| Dipole latitude | 61.0° | 62.8° |
| Kp for the oval edge overhead | Kp 3 | Kp 2 |
| Civil night, December 15 | 16.1 h | 16.6 h |
| Dark-season days | 297 | 281 |
| Nights with no civil darkness | 19 | 54 |
| Dark-month cloud, NASA POWER | 79% | 83% |
| Solar midnight, December 15 | 00:34 | 00:30 |
Bergen sits at 61.0 degrees geomagnetic, inside SWPC's 60 to 75 degree band, where aurora can be seen on more than half of all nights. No storm is needed: by SWPC's rule the average oval edge is overhead at Kp 3. Ålesund sits at 62.8 degrees geomagnetic, inside SWPC's 60 to 75 degree band, where aurora can be seen on more than half of all nights. No storm is needed: by SWPC's rule the average oval edge is overhead at Kp 2.
Civil night month by month
On December 15 Bergen has 16.1 hours of civil night and Ålesund 16.6. Across the 15th of each month, Bergen is darker in 6 months and Ålesund in 5. The widest gap comes in July, when Bergen has 2.8 more hours.
| Month | Bergen | Ålesund | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.4 h | 15.8 h | -0.4 h |
| February | 13.2 h | 13.3 h | -0.1 h |
| March | 10.7 h | 10.6 h | +0.1 h |
| April | 7.6 h | 7.2 h | +0.4 h |
| May | 4.3 h | 3.1 h | +1.2 h |
| June | 0.0 h | 0.0 h | +0.0 h |
| July | 2.8 h | 0.0 h | +2.8 h |
| August | 6.4 h | 5.8 h | +0.6 h |
| September | 9.6 h | 9.4 h | +0.2 h |
| October | 12.3 h | 12.4 h | -0.1 h |
| November | 14.8 h | 15.1 h | -0.3 h |
| December | 16.1 h | 16.6 h | -0.5 h |
Season and midnight sun
Bergen has no civil darkness from June 11 to June 29, 19 nights in 2026, and its dark season, 4 or more evening hours of civil night, lasts 297 days. Ålesund has no civil darkness from May 25 to July 17, 54 nights in 2026, and its dark season, 4 or more evening hours of civil night, lasts 281 days.
Distance, cloud and time zones
The two towns are 235 km apart by great circle. In the dark months Bergen averages 79% cloud and Ålesund 83%, from NASA POWER's 2001 to 2020 record. Bergen's best month by civil night times clear sky is November. Ålesund's best month by civil night times clear sky is December. Time zones: Europe/Oslo and Europe/Oslo.
For tonight, open the live pages for Bergen and Ålesund, which carry the live OVATION cell.
Questions
- Is Bergen or Ålesund better for the northern lights?
- Ålesund sits closer to the oval, at 62.8 degrees geomagnetic against 61.0. 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, Bergen or Ålesund?
- Ålesund, with 16.6 hours of civil night on December 15 against 16.1 in Bergen.
- What Kp do Bergen and Ålesund need?
- By SWPC's rule of 66 degrees at Kp 0 and 2 degrees per step, Bergen needs about Kp 3 and Ålesund Kp 2 for the average oval edge to sit overhead.
- When is it too light for aurora in Bergen and Ålesund?
- Bergen: June 11 to June 29. Ålesund: May 25 to July 17.
- Which is clearer, Bergen or Ålesund?
- Bergen, with 79% mean cloud in the months with 4 hours or more of civil night against 83% in Ålesund (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.