Bretagne

Northern lights in Quimper tonight

Real-time aurora forecast for Quimper (Bretagne) - latitude 48.00° N, estimated Kp threshold 7.

Kp index

4.3

unsettled

Hemispheric power

North21GW

South22GW

Source: app.pulsar-si.com

Tonight in Quimper

Very unlikely

Based on Kp 4.3 and Quimper's latitude.

Seeing the northern lights from Quimper

Quimper, in the heart of southern Finistère, at 48° N, offers interesting observation conditions thanks to moderate light pollution and the proximity of very dark rural areas. Auroras become visible from Kp 7. Nearby coasts and the Cap Sizun and Penmarc'h points give access to remarkable skies.

Observation conditions in Quimper

Bortle 6 in the centre. The Monts d'Arrée (Bortle 3, 50 km north) are among the best skies in Brittany. The Pointe du Raz and the Audierne bay (Bortle 4, 35 km west) offer a north-western horizon over the Atlantic. The Crozon peninsula is a classic observation site, with a perfectly clear, low-pollution northern point.

Recent auroras from Quimper

10-11 May 2024 (Kp 9): aurora photographed from the Pointe du Raz and the Monts d'Arrée. 24 March 2024 (Kp 8): sightings from the wild Finistère coast. 5 November 2023 (Kp 7): confirmed rural observations in Finistère.

What Quimper asks of the sky

Geomagnetic latitude

50.6°

10 of 40

Kp index required

Kp 7

9 / 12 months

Dark nights per year

365

365 / 365

Quimper ranks 10 of the 40 cities we track, at 50.6° geomagnetic. Saint-Malo sits 0.3° higher , Reims follows at 50.5°.

The threshold to clear here is Kp 7. Twelve months of archive hold 9 nights, the most recent on 4 July 2026, and 157 since 1994. Brest and Lorient and Rennes share exactly the same threshold.

Quimper 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 5 of 9

SQM 19.50 mag/arcsec²

Nearest darker sky

La Tourelle

2 km · Bortle 2

Kp forecast, next 3 days

Source: app.pulsar-si.com. For an aurora to be visible from Quimper, Kp must exceed 7.

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 Quimper?

Yes, but rarely. Typically a Kp index of ≥ 7 is needed for the aurora to become visible from Quimper (latitude 48.0° 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 Quimper?

The approximate Kp threshold for Quimper is 7. Below that, auroras stay confined to high latitudes (Norway, Scotland). Above it, they gradually extend southward. A Kp of 8 gives a fair chance, 9 a strong one.

When is the best time to watch from Quimper?

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 Quimper offers better conditions?

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

Nearby cities

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