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Rule Northern Lights

Sodankylä - Northern Lights - Finnish Lapland

Sodankylä, Lapland, Finland

Northern Lights photography conditions - combines aurora activity levels with clear skies and proper darkness for optimal viewing.

No opportunities right now
Here’s what usually blocks matches

No Northern Lights opportunities in the next 14 days

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Rule requirements (key thresholds)
Aurora Quality · ≥ 50.0% Solar Elevation · ≤ -8.0° Aurora Activity · ≥ 50.0% Total Cloud Coverage · ≤ 30.0%

Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.

Most common blockers (next 72 hours)
Aurora Quality 100% failing
Total Cloud Coverage 85% failing
Aurora Activity 83% failing

Currently

Real-time conditions
Aurora Quality
0%
Kp IndexKp 4 (Unsettled)
Sun Elevation-6.5° (Nautical twilight)
Cloud Cover56%

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in Europe/Helsinki

No opportunities in the next 10 days

See the blocker timeline below to understand which conditions are preventing matches.

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast answers the question every aurora photographer asks: "Can I actually see the aurora tonight?" Unlike simple Kp forecasts, we combine NOAA's OVATION aurora model with real-time cloud cover, visibility, and darkness data to predict true viewing conditions.

Finnish Lapland sits directly under the auroral oval, making it one of Earth's most reliable aurora viewing regions. These curated photography spots span from Rovaniemi at the Arctic Circle to Utsjoki at Finland's northernmost tip.

What makes Finnish Lapland special:

  • Dark sky reserves - Minimal light pollution across vast wilderness areas
  • Fell landscapes - Elevated viewpoints like Kaunispää offer 360° aurora visibility
  • Lake reflections - Inari and other large lakes create stunning mirror shots
  • Research heritage - Sodankylä hosts one of the world's oldest aurora research stations

Best conditions typically occur September through March. The fell regions often experience temperature inversions that trap clouds below, giving you clear skies when lowlands are overcast.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
6matching hours in the next 95 hoursJump to next match
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
Europe/Helsinki
Aurora Quality
≥ 50.0%
Solar Elevation
≤ -8.0°
Aurora Activity
≥ 50.0%
Total Cloud Coverage
≤ 30.0%
Visibility
≥ 8000.0m
Fri, Apr 10
22:000%-6.8°99%5%24134m
23:0090%-11°100%5%24135m
Sat, Apr 11
24:0095%-13°100%5%24135m
01:0095%-14°100%5%24135m
02:0095%-14°100%5%24134m
03:0085%-12°81%5%24134m
04:0073%-8.8°81%5%24134m
05:000%-4.4°81%5%24134m
06:000%1.1°100%5.3%24134m
07:000%6.4°100%44%24135m
08:000%12°100%11%24134m
09:000%18°93%23%24134m
10:000%23°93%13%24135m
11:000%27°93%5%24134m
12:000%30°93%5%24134m
13:000%31°93%5%24135m
14:000%31°93%11%16948m
15:000%28°26%18%15078m
16:000%25°26%63%200m
17:000%20°26%73%149m
18:000%15°20%80%155m
19:000%9.3°24%85%762m
20:000%3.7°30%66%12329m
21:000%-1.6°88%38%22650m
22:000%-6.5°88%56%11091m
23:000%-10°88%90%8450m
Sun, Apr 12
24:000%-13°100%90%7519m
01:000%-14°100%83%6755m
02:000%-14°100%80%6393m
03:000%-12°20%77%6539m
04:000%-8.4°20%71%6423m
05:000%-4°20%65%6455m
06:000%1.4°81%61%7338m
07:000%6.7°81%30%16644m
08:000%12°81%12%24135m
09:000%18°81%42%24134m
10:000%23°81%33%24135m
11:000%27°81%12%16998m
12:000%30°20%54%133m
13:000%31°20%62%56m
14:000%31°20%73%116m
15:000%29°10%80%240m
16:000%25°10%92%300m
17:000%21°10%100%569m
18:000%15°6.7%100%1422m
19:000%9.6°6.7%97%380m
20:000%4°6.7%95%24134m
21:000%-1.3°6.7%83%24134m
22:000%-6.2°6.7%49%24134m
23:000%-9.9°6.7%50%19868m
Mon, Apr 13
24:000%-12°20%59%1073m
01:000%-14°20%57%614m
02:0018%-13°20%47%13737m
03:0027%-11°20%36%11093m
04:0019%-8°20%35%12425m
05:000%-3.6°20%49%13468m
06:000%1.7°26%52%15591m
07:000%7.1°26%39%24134m
08:000%13°26%15%24134m
09:000%18°20%5.5%24135m
10:000%23°20%5.3%24135m
11:000%28°20%40%298m
12:000%30°6.7%53%83m
13:000%32°6.7%53%55m
14:000%31°6.7%53%123m
15:000%29°6.7%56%227m
16:000%26°6.7%66%308m
17:000%21°6.7%82%432m
18:000%16°6.7%99%442m
19:000%9.9°6.7%100%849m
20:000%4.3°6.7%100%15120m
21:000%-0.91°10%100%24135m
22:000%-5.8°10%85%24134m
23:0018%-9.6°10%43%24135m
Tue, Apr 14
24:0038%-12°20%23%24134m
01:0038%-13°20%29%24135m
02:0045%-13°20%8.5%24135m
03:0034%-11°10%10%24134m
04:000%-7.6°10%24%16107m
05:000%-3.3°10%39%8080m
06:000%2°10%53%52m
07:000%7.5°10%59%96m
08:000%13°10%65%140m
09:000%19°10%71%183m
10:000%24°10%81%827m
11:000%28°10%90%1471m
12:000%31°10%100%2114m
13:000%32°10%100%7142m
14:000%32°10%100%12170m
15:000%29°10%100%17198m
16:000%26°10%100%19510m
17:000%21°10%100%21822m
18:000%16°10%100%24135m
19:000%10°10%100%19712m
20:000%4.6°10%100%15289m
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

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