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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
Solar Elevation 100% failing
Aurora Activity 92% failing

Currently

Real-time conditions
Aurora Quality
0%
Kp IndexKp 4 (Unsettled)
Sun Elevation35.6° (Daylight)
Cloud Cover6%

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
0matching hours in the next 95 hours
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
Thu, May 7
10:000%31°0%100%24134m
11:000%35°0%93%24135m
12:000%38°0%65%24134m
13:000%39°0%20%24134m
14:000%39°0%6.8%24135m
15:000%36°0%5.1%24135m
16:000%33°0%83%23973m
17:000%28°20%71%19728m
18:000%22°26%47%23746m
19:000%17°26%22%24134m
20:000%11°27%15%24134m
21:000%5.9°87%8.1%24134m
22:000%1.6°92%19%24135m
23:000%-2.1°94%44%24134m
Fri, May 8
24:000%-4.5°100%59%24134m
01:000%-5.5°100%59%24135m
02:000%-5°100%60%24134m
03:000%-3.1°31%64%24134m
04:000%0.47°28%25%24134m
05:000%4.4°21%6.3%24135m
06:000%9.3°81%5%24135m
07:000%15°81%9.8%24135m
08:000%21°81%15%24135m
09:000%26°0%8.2%24135m
10:000%31°0%5%24134m
11:000%36°0%5.7%24134m
12:000%38°20%73%24135m
13:000%40°20%93%23951m
14:000%39°20%68%24083m
15:000%37°81%21%24134m
16:000%33°81%20%24134m
17:000%28°81%9.6%24135m
18:000%23°6.7%34%24135m
19:000%17°6.7%42%24135m
20:000%11°6.7%89%24135m
21:000%6.1°14%100%24135m
22:000%1.8°14%100%24135m
23:000%-1.9°14%99%24134m
Sat, May 9
24:000%-4.3°20%5%24134m
01:000%-5.2°20%5%24134m
02:000%-4.7°20%5%24134m
03:000%-2.8°20%5%24135m
04:000%0.7°20%6.2%24134m
05:000%4.6°20%5%24134m
06:000%9.6°81%13%24134m
07:000%15°81%93%24134m
08:000%21°81%100%24134m
09:000%26°26%100%24134m
10:000%32°26%85%24135m
11:000%36°26%93%24135m
12:000%39°20%90%24135m
13:000%40°20%100%24135m
14:000%39°20%100%24134m
15:000%37°20%100%24135m
16:000%33°20%100%24134m
17:000%28°20%100%24134m
18:000%23°6.7%100%24135m
19:000%17°6.7%100%24135m
20:000%12°6.7%100%24134m
21:000%6.4°10%100%24135m
22:000%2.1°10%100%24134m
23:000%-1.6°10%100%24135m
Sun, May 10
24:000%-4°20%100%24135m
01:000%-4.9°20%100%24135m
02:000%-4.5°20%100%24134m
03:000%-2.5°20%100%24135m
04:000%0.93°20%100%24134m
05:000%4.9°20%100%24135m
06:000%9.8°20%100%24135m
07:000%15°20%100%24135m
08:000%21°20%100%24135m
09:000%27°10%100%24135m
10:000%32°10%100%24135m
11:000%36°10%100%24135m
12:000%39°10%100%24134m
13:000%40°10%100%24135m
14:000%40°10%100%24134m
15:000%37°10%100%24134m
16:000%33°10%100%24134m
17:000%29°10%100%24135m
18:000%23°6.7%100%24135m
19:000%17°6.7%100%24135m
20:000%12°6.7%100%24135m
21:000%6.6°6.7%100%24135m
22:000%2.3°6.7%100%24135m
23:000%-1.3°6.7%100%24135m
Mon, May 11
24:000%-3.7°10%100%24135m
01:000%-4.7°10%100%24135m
02:000%-4.2°10%100%24135m
03:000%-2.2°10%100%24135m
04:000%1.2°10%100%24135m
05:000%5.1°10%100%24135m
06:000%10°10%100%24135m
07:000%16°10%100%24135m
08:000%21°10%100%24135m
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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