Sweden · 22 towns
Aurora towns in Stockholm
Answer
Where the towns sit
The widest gap in the dipole ranking falls between Norrtälje and Sollentuna, 0.2 degrees. 7 neighbouring pairs sit within 0.5 degrees of each other, close enough that the order between them means little.
Of the 8 indexed towns in Stockholm, 8 sit between 55 and 60 degrees, where G1 (Kp 5) or less usually brings aurora into view.
Ranked by geomagnetic latitude
| Rank | Town | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Märsta | 58.3° |
| 2 | Norrtälje | 58.3° |
| 3 | Sollentuna | 58.1° |
| 4 | Åkersberga | 58.1° |
| 5 | Stockholm | 58.0° |
| 6 | Gustavsberg | 57.9° |
| 7 | Södertälje | 57.9° |
| 8 | Haninge | 57.8° |
Ranked by December darkness
On December 15 the median town gets 15.9 hours of civil night, against 15.8 nationally. Norrtälje has the most at 16.0 hours and Märsta the least at 15.9. Every town keeps some civil darkness through the June solstice.
| Rank | Town | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norrtälje | 16.0 h |
| 2 | Märsta | 15.9 h |
| 3 | Sollentuna | 15.9 h |
| 4 | Åkersberga | 15.9 h |
| 5 | Stockholm | 15.9 h |
| 6 | Gustavsberg | 15.9 h |
| 7 | Södertälje | 15.9 h |
| 8 | Haninge | 15.9 h |
Ranked by clear dark season
NASA POWER's 2001 to 2020 climatology puts median cloud amount in the dark months at 78%, against 75% nationally. Märsta is clearest at 77% and Haninge cloudiest at 78%. These are all-hours averages for 1 degree cells, not forecasts.
| Rank | Town | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Märsta | 77% |
| 2 | Sollentuna | 77% |
| 3 | Södertälje | 77% |
| 4 | Norrtälje | 78% |
| 5 | Åkersberga | 78% |
| 6 | Stockholm | 78% |
| 7 | Gustavsberg | 78% |
| 8 | Haninge | 78% |
Multiplying civil night by the clear share of the sky, September comes out best for 5 of the 8 towns and November for 3. SWPC notes a tendency toward larger storms near the equinoxes, which this score does not include.
Every town
| Town | Dipole | Storm needed | Dec 15 night | Dark-month cloud | Best month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Märsta | 58.3° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 77% | Nov |
| Norrtälje | 58.3° | G1 or less | 16.0 h | 78% | Sep |
| Upplands Väsby * | 58.2° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 77% | Nov |
| Vallentuna * | 58.2° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
| Jakobsberg * | 58.1° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 77% | Nov |
| Sollentuna | 58.1° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 77% | Nov |
| Täby * | 58.1° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
| Åkersberga | 58.1° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
| Danderyd * | 58.1° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
| Rinkeby * | 58.1° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 77% | Nov |
| Sundbyberg * | 58.0° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 77% | Nov |
| Solna * | 58.0° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
| Lidingö * | 58.0° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
| Stockholm | 58.0° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
| Nacka * | 57.9° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
| Gustavsberg | 57.9° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
| Södertälje | 57.9° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 77% | Nov |
| Huddinge * | 57.9° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 77% | Nov |
| Tumba * | 57.9° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 77% | Nov |
| Tullinge * | 57.9° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 77% | Nov |
| Trångsund * | 57.9° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
| Haninge | 57.8° | G1 or less | 15.9 h | 78% | Sep |
Questions
- Where in Stockholm is best for the aurora?
- By geomagnetic latitude, Märsta at 58.3°. No town sits at 60 degrees or more, so every town needs some activity.
- Which town in Stockholm has the longest December night?
- Norrtälje, with 16.0 hours of civil night on December 15.
- Which town in Stockholm has the clearest dark season?
- Märsta, with 77% mean cloud amount in the months with at least 4 hours of civil night (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020).
- What is the best month for aurora in Stockholm?
- September for 5 of 8 towns, by civil night times the clear share of the sky. Each town page gives its own month.
Sources and verification
- GeoNames dump (CC BY 4.0)https://download.geonames.org/export/dump/
- IGRF-14, NOAA NCEIhttps://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/IAGA/vmod/coeffs/igrf14coeffs.txt
- NASA POWER climatologyhttps://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/climatology/
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.