What Is the Aurora Oval? Understanding the Auroral Zone for Better Northern Lights Chances

Have you ever heard of the Aurora Oval? If you're a Northern Lights enthusiast, you know it's an area in the Northern Hemisphere with higher chances to witness these incredible natural phenomena. But do you know what exactly it is and where it sits on our planet?

Today, let's find out. Aurora Oval - or Aurora Zone - is an area close to the Earth's magnetic poles with a higher probability of seeing the Northern Lights. It changes in shape and size during different periods but it's always there.

Now, if you're planning a trip to see the Northern Lights, you may want to consider setting foot inside this oval-shaped area! I'll give you all the facts and figures to help you understand and make use of this remarkable spot on our planet. Here we go!

How to Increase Your Chances of Seeing the Northern Lights?

Did you know that over 80% of tourists miss the Northern Lights due to the lack of Aurora knowledge? Don't let that be you! The right time and the right place are the key. Northern Lights Online Course and Aurora mobile app designed for beginners will significantly increase your chances.

Online Course

Designed For Beginners

Mobile App

Designed For Beginners

Update: Hey there, we've added 10 free videos from our Ultimate Northern Lights Online Course to this post. In the videos, we explain the mysteries of the Aurora Borealis in simple terms for beginners. You'll learn things like what the Northern Lights really look like and how long the show lasts. Also covered are common shapes, Aurora forecasting, tips for finding the best viewing spot, and more. We made the videos short and right to the point. Enjoy learning new things about one of nature's most incredible light shows.

Aurora in Reality

€19.99

Ultimate Northern Lights Course

Course
99 Lessons
Includes 1 additional product

Learn all you need to know to see the Northern Lights. The full package online course. This course includes Basic, Intermediate and Advanced knowledge about the Northern Lights. Great for Beginners. Includes Certificate.

View product

Includes 1 Additional Product

Aurora Myths & Legends (Ultimate Collection)

Defining the Aurora Oval and Auroral Zone

Have you ever heard the phrase "Aurora Oval"? In the Northern Hemisphere, the Aurora Oval is an area where the Northern Lights are most likely visible. The Auroral Zone, on the other hand, is a much larger swath of land that encircles the Aurora Oval.

If you're looking to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights, it's important to understand both of these terms. The Aurora Oval is a roughly circular region located in the far northern latitudes of North America, Europe and Asia—it's situated around 300 km above Earth's surface and rotates with the Earth's magnetic field. Within this oval region, your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis at any given time are much higher than outside of it.

What Aurora Shapes Can You See?

Meanwhile, the Auroral Zone is more diffuse and larger than just this Aurora Oval area—it covers an expanse from about 65° to 75° latitude north in certain regions. This means that even if you're not directly within this oval-shaped area (say, in Alaska), you can still catch a glimpse of this natural light show as long as you go far enough north during its peak season (usually from September through early April).

Lumyros Aurora App

All-in-one tool for Aurora hunting. Try the new experience.

Explore All Features & Get Now ↗

Where Is the Aurora Oval Located? Mapping the Auroral Zone

Have you ever wondered why some people experience the Northern Lights more often than others? It all has to do with the Aurora Oval—the area where the Northern Lights are most likely to be seen. The Aurora Oval is an oval-shaped zone that rotates around the poles, and it's in this zone where your chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis are highest.

In the Northern Hemisphere, this zone is centered on magnetic north—which means it's generally located in northern Canada and Alaska, as well as northern parts of Iceland, Scandinavia, Russia, and Greenland. You can also find it extending over parts of the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean.

Although viewings can (and do) occur at locations outside of the Aurora Oval—you have a much better chance of catching a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis if you’re located within this magical Auroral zone!

How Northern Lights Forecast Works?

Increasing Your Chances of Seeing the Northern Lights Within the Aurora Oval

Want to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights? Then you want to be in the Aurora Oval!

The Aurora Oval is a ring-shaped area around the Earth’s magnetic north pole that gives off geomagnetic storms, which are responsible for some of the most impressive Auroras. When you’re within the Aurora Oval, you have an increased chance of seeing those elusive red, green and blue lights dancing in the sky.

€2.99

Northern Lights Beginner

Course
27 Lessons

Learn the basic knowledge you need to know to see the Northern Lights. This course includes Basic knowledge about the Northern Lights. Great for Beginners. Includes Certificate.

View product

So where is it located? In the Northern Hemisphere, it stretches from mid-northern Canada down to just past Alaska and from northern Europe up through Scandinavia. In other words, if you’re within this oval then you’re in great luck—the Aurora Borealis is much more likely to make an appearance!

When night falls and you have a clear sky, just watch for any streaks of light or see if any stars start glowing or pulsing. That’s how many catch their first glimpse at one of nature’s most beautiful spectacles!

Lumyros Aurora App

All-in-one tool for Aurora hunting. Try the new experience.

Explore All Features & Get Now ↗

How to Find the Best Place for Aurora Viewing?

The Science Behind the Aurora Oval and Auroral Displays

Now that you know where the Aurora Oval is located, let's talk about the science behind auroral displays. The Aurora Oval is created when electrically charged particles are drawn to the Earth's magnetosphere by its magnetic field. When these particles collide with atoms in our atmosphere, they create a lightshow which appears in different shapes, depending on where you are in relation to the Aurora Oval.

The amazing thing is that this phenomenon can happen all over the world – it just depends on whether or not you're inside the Aurora Oval. If you're in the right place at the right time, you could get a once-in-a-lifetime experience witnessing an Auroral display firsthand!

Can You See Aurora in the City?

Here's what you need to know about why and how Auroral displays happen:

Electrons and protons from solar winds enter Earth’s atmosphere near polar regions
Charged particles interact with atoms and molecules of oxygen, nitrogen, etc. to create different colors of light
The intensity of Auroras depends on Solar winds
Auroras appear in different shapes depending on the amount and speed of particles emitted by the Sun
Auroras occur within 500 miles of one of Earth’s poles

How long Are Northern Lights Visible?

Aurora Oval Forecasts and Aurora Activity Maps to Plan Your Trip

One final thing you should know about the Aurora Oval is that there are plenty of tools you can use to help you plan your Aurora hunting trip. Aurora Forecasts and Aurora Activity Maps are both useful when it comes to planning your adventure.

Aurora Forecasts

Aurora Forecasts tell you the chances of seeing the Northern Lights on a given night. They are based on calculations from solar activity data, and will tell you two key things:

The KP index — this tells you how intense of an Aurora show you can expect; and
The probability percent ( like 50%, 60%, etc.) — this is how likely it is that you'll see the Aurora in your location with the given KP index.

Eye vs Camera view Compared

Aurora Activity Maps

Aurora Activity Maps are like weather maps for the Northern Lights. You can easily check them to see if there's going to be an Aurora in your area, and they helpfully color-code different levels of activity so that it's easy to see what kind of show there might be. Plus, they show not just where an Aurora will be, but also where it's heading—so if it's too far north for you today, it could be within reach tomorrow!

Aurora Photography with a Smartphone: How to be ready & Is Tripod Essential?

Best Places to View the Northern Lights Within the Aurora Oval

If you've ever looked up into the night sky, wishing desperately to see the Northern Lights, we feel you. But did you know that being in the right spot can increase your chances of catching a glimpse of those beautiful greens and purples? That's where the Auroral Oval comes in.

The Auroral Oval is an area around both poles—north and south—where geomagnetic activity occurs. Areas within the oval, which is caused by collisions between electrically charged particles released from the Sun's atmosphere with atoms in Earth's upper atmosphere, have a much higher chance of sighting the Northern Lights.

How Far Away Can Be Aurora Visible?

So which areas are within the Aurora Oval in the northern hemisphere? Generally, it includes northern parts of North America and Europe, as well as most of Russia and Asia. Specifically, important viewing spots include Alaska, North Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

To make sure you're in a prime location for Aurora watching remember this: The further north you go and away from light pollution (away from cities), the more likely you are to catch a sight of these dancing lights.

How to Understand Real-time Aurora Activity?

Bonus: Northern Lights Song

Northern Lights Online Tools: Chasing Aurora Like a Pro

The most useful Northern Lights online tools for a successful Aurora hunt. Are you about to hunt the Northern Lights on your own? Then you will find these resources helpful. If you are trying to see Aurora for the first time we recommend signing up for the Northern Lights Online Course where is explained step-by-step all you need to know to see the Northern Lights in an easy way.

Northern Lights essential online tools designed for beginners to help you see Aurora like the handy Aurora Mobile App and Northern Lights Online Course will help you to understand how Aurora works and to monitor real-time activity.
The Northern Lights Forecast for 3 days and long-term Aurora forecast for up to 27 days ahead can be found here: Geophysical Institute Forecast, NOAA Aurora Forecast, Spaceweatherlive Forecast or in the Northern Lights App.
Find the best Aurora spots with the light pollution map and cloud cover prediction.
Northern Lights activity in real-time: Real-time Aurora activity (worldwide magnetometers), Solar Wind activity, Sun's activity, Aurora live Boreal webcams list or Aurora App.
Additional resources to know when it will be dark enough Darkness graph & Map and how much the moon will illuminate the sky Moon Phase + Moonrise & Moonset.
If you decide to go with professional Aurora hunters here you can find the top-rated Aurora Tours.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Aurora Oval is an important concept to understand if you are trying to find the Northern Lights. By understanding what Aurora Oval is, you can take advantage of current Aurora forecasts and maximize your chances of seeing the Northern Lights. There are plenty of resources online to help you stay up-to-date with Aurora forecasts, and you can now even use new technologies like Aurora Alerts to receive real-time notifications when an active Aurora is visible. Regardless, the Aurora Oval is an essential part of the Northern Lights experience, and being aware of its location can be the difference between seeing the Northern Lights or missing them.

Find out how the Northern Lights work and all you need to know to avoid missing the show

Learn more about Aurora in Online Northern Lights Course (Recommended for Beginners)

€19.99

Ultimate Northern Lights Course

Course
99 Lessons
Includes 1 additional product

View product

Includes 1 Additional Product

Aurora Myths & Legends (Ultimate Collection)

€9.99

Aurora Myths & Legends (Ultimate Collection)

Course
21 Lessons

Learn about the Top 19 Aurora Myths and Legends. But that's not all. Have you ever thought about how did it happen that people started to believe in these Myths and Legends? What had happened that night? 19 of Aurora Myths and Legends were turned into tales and are right here for you in this collection.

View product

⟵ Back to Blog page