PACA

Northern lights in Marseille tonight

Real-time aurora forecast for Marseille (PACA) - latitude 43.30° N, estimated Kp threshold 9.

Kp index

4.3

unsettled

Hemispheric power

North21GW

South22GW

Source: app.pulsar-si.com

Tonight in Marseille

Very unlikely

Based on Kp 4.3 and Marseille's latitude.

Seeing the northern lights from Marseille

Marseille, at 43.3° N, is one of the southernmost major French cities. Auroras here are exceptional: a Kp ≥ 8 is needed to reach this latitude, which typically happens a few times per solar cycle. The Mediterranean opens a perfect southern horizon, but observation targets the north, partially blocked by hills (Étoile, Garlaban, Sainte-Baume). The May 2024 storm produced a red aurora visible from the Calanques.

Observation conditions in Marseille

Marseille is rated Bortle 8 in its core, with light pollution stretching along the entire Marseille-Aix axis. For decent observation, head to the Sainte-Baume massif (Bortle 4, 40 km east) or the Valensole plateau (Bortle 3, 90 km north). The Corniche Kennedy and Prado beach are not suitable: the aurora is to the north, not above the sea. The mistral, frequent here, clears the sky after it passes.

Recent auroras from Marseille

The May 2024 storm (Kp 9) was the first naked-eye aurora from Marseille in decades, with red columns photographed from the Calanques and Cap Canaille. Aside from that exceptional event, no notable aurora reports.

What Marseille asks of the sky

Geomagnetic latitude

44.5°

37 of 40

Kp index required

Kp 9

0 / 12 months

Dark nights per year

365

365 / 365

Marseille ranks 37 of the 40 cities we track, at 44.5° geomagnetic. Nice sits 0.1° higher , Perpignan follows at 44.3°.

The threshold to clear here is Kp 9. It was not reached once in the last twelve months; since 1994 our archive holds only 4 such nights. Toulon and Nice share exactly the same threshold.

Marseille 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 9 of 9

SQM 17.93 mag/arcsec²

Nearest darker sky

7e Arrondissement

2 km · Bortle 7

Kp forecast, next 3 days

Source: app.pulsar-si.com. For an aurora to be visible from Marseille, Kp must exceed 9.

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 Marseille?

Yes, but rarely. Typically a Kp index of ≥ 9 is needed for the aurora to become visible from Marseille (latitude 43.3° 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 Marseille?

The approximate Kp threshold for Marseille is 9. Below that, auroras stay confined to high latitudes (Norway, Scotland). Above it, they gradually extend southward. A Kp of 10 gives a fair chance, 11 a strong one.

When is the best time to watch from Marseille?

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 Marseille offers better conditions?

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

Nearby cities

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