Northern lights in Bayonne tonight

Seeing the northern lights from Bayonne

Bayonne, at 43.5° N, lies at the end of the Atlantic coast at the foot of the Basque Pyrenees. Seeing an aurora here is exceptional, but the May 2024 storm produced a memorable show, visible from Hendaye beach and La Rhune. The proximity of the ocean to the north-west offers a clear horizon, and Basque hills provide accessible high points for observation far from coastal light pollution.

Observation conditions in Bayonne

Bayonne is rated Bortle 5, remarkable for a city of this size. Heading into the Basque hinterland (Iraty, Arbailles forest), Bortle 2-3 is reached in under an hour. The Iraty massif has been an International Dark Sky Reserve since 2021, one of the few such labels in western Europe. The climate is often humid but post-storm nights deliver exceptional transparency.

Recent auroras from Bayonne

10-11 May 2024 (Kp 9): spectacular red and pink aurora photographed from the Basque corniche, La Rhune and Pyrenean passes. One of the most southerly auroras reported in France that night. For the 12 August 2026 eclipse, Bayonne is the French city with the highest obscuration (~96%).