Aurora Expert

Aurora Expert tells you whether the northern lights are worth going out for tonight — and if you're planning a trip to chase them, it helps you pick the right nights and spots.

Most aurora apps just show you a Kp number and leave you to guess. This one actually does the maths. It pulls in live space-weather data from NOAA, runs it through the OVATION auroral model, then weighs it against your cloud cover, how dark it gets, the moon, and local light pollution — and gives you a straight answer: what are my odds tonight, right where I'm standing? And when the answer is "not tonight," it tells you what's getting in the way rather than dressing it up.

TONIGHT, AT A GLANCE • A clear yes/no/maybe for your exact spot • A live 3D aurora globe you can scrub backwards and forwards ±12 hours • A plain-English breakdown of what's helping and what's hurting your chances • A 3-day outlook with the best window to head out each night

AURORA EXPERT (one-time unlock, no subscription) • Trip Planner: map out multi-night trips with a go/no-go timeline for each night, where to base yourself, and which dates look best • Deep Dive: live solar-wind charts (Bz, speed, density), Kp and Hp30 history, Newell coupling, plus storm and substorm watches • Save as many spots as you like, anywhere in the world • Alerts for every spot you save

NO NONSENSE No account to make, no tracking, no ads. Your location stays on your device for the forecast and only goes to Apple WeatherKit to fetch cloud data. And if a data feed goes down, the app says so instead of guessing.

Data sources: NOAA SWPC, NASA, GFZ Potsdam, Apple WeatherKit.