Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Northern lights in Annecy tonight

Real-time aurora forecast for Annecy (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) - latitude 45.90° N, estimated Kp threshold 8.

Kp index

4.3

unsettled

Hemispheric power

North21GW

South22GW

Source: app.pulsar-si.com

Tonight in Annecy

Very unlikely

Based on Kp 4.3 and Annecy's latitude.

Seeing the northern lights from Annecy

Annecy, at 45.9° N in the heart of the Alps, combines a moderate latitude with a mountainous environment that offers exceptional altitude observation points. Auroras become visible from Kp 7.5. The Aravis and Bauges massifs give access to skies that are rare in France, and Lake Annecy provides a photogenic foreground.

Observation conditions in Annecy

Bortle 7 in the city. The Glières plateau (Bortle 3, 25 km east) and the Semnoz (Bortle 4, 12 km south) are sought-after by amateur astronomers. The Croix de Bauzon and the Aravis pass offer altitude horizons. Dry winter air provides exceptional transparency, particularly above 1500 m.

Recent auroras from Annecy

10-11 May 2024 (Kp 9): spectacular red aurora over the lake, viral photos from the Sevrier reedbed. 24 March 2024 (Kp 8): observations from the Semnoz. 5 November 2023 (Kp 7): sightings from the Glières plateau.

What Annecy asks of the sky

Geomagnetic latitude

46.9°

30 of 40

Kp index required

Kp 8

2 / 12 months

Dark nights per year

365

365 / 365

Annecy ranks 30 of the 40 cities we track, at 46.9° geomagnetic. Bordeaux sits 0.1° higher , Saint-Étienne follows at 46.8°.

The threshold to clear here is Kp 8. Twelve months of archive hold 2 nights, the most recent on 19 January 2026, and 48 since 1994. Grenoble and Lyon and Saint-Étienne share exactly the same threshold.

Annecy keeps full astronomical night all 365 nights of the year, which every city north of the Loire loses for part of the summer.

How to read the Kp index →

Local conditions

Light pollution

Bortle 6 of 9

SQM 19.26 mag/arcsec²

Nearest darker sky

Annecy

2 km · Bortle 3

Kp forecast, next 3 days

Source: app.pulsar-si.com. For an aurora to be visible from Annecy, Kp must exceed 8.

Wed 19 Aug

1.1

Expected max Kp

Thu 20 Aug

1.5

Expected max Kp

Fri 21 Aug

1.7

Expected max Kp

Frequently asked questions

Can you see the northern lights from Annecy?

Yes, but rarely. Typically a Kp index of ≥ 8 is needed for the aurora to become visible from Annecy (latitude 45.9° N). Major geomagnetic storms (Kp 8-9) that reach this latitude happen only a handful of times per 11-year solar cycle.

What Kp index is needed to see auroras from Annecy?

The approximate Kp threshold for Annecy is 8. Below that, auroras stay confined to high latitudes (Norway, Scotland). Above it, they gradually extend southward. A Kp of 9 gives a fair chance, 10 a strong one.

When is the best time to watch from Annecy?

Auroras are a nighttime phenomenon, best observed between roughly 10 PM and 2 AM local time, when the geomagnetic pole is tilted towards the Earth's night side. In practice, peaks depend on when a coronal mass ejection arrives - activity can spike at any hour.

Where around Annecy offers better conditions?

Move at least 40-60 km north of Annecy to escape urban light pollution and gain 1-2 magnitudes of limiting magnitude.

Nearby cities

Mobile app

Get an aurora alert in Annecy

Automatic notification the moment the Kp index crosses the visibility threshold for Annecy. Free alerts, forecasts tuned to your exact address.