Why Now Is Still an Exceptional Time to Chase the Aurora

Solar Cycle 25 reached its official peak in October 2024 — but the declining phase is far from quiet, and this works strongly in your favour if you know where to go.

History shows that some of the most powerful geomagnetic storms of any solar cycle occur during the declining phase, sometimes years after the official maximum. Solar Cycle 24 peaked in 2014, yet produced its two largest flares in September 2017 — more than three years later. Strong individual storms are expected to continue well into 2027 and beyond before activity truly quietens toward the next solar minimum around 2030–2031.

More importantly, the declining phase shifts the strategic advantage firmly toward higher latitudes. When solar activity is elevated, the aurora is visible across a wide range of latitudes and Kp levels. As activity decreases, the auroral oval contracts back toward its natural position — centred around the Arctic Circle at approximately 66°33′ N. At these latitudes, even a modest Kp 1 or 2 event — the kind that would be invisible further south — can produce clear, active aurora directly overhead. Travelling north is not just a preference; in the declining phase, it becomes the most reliable strategy for consistent sightings.

This is precisely what Northern Lights Guide is built around — placing small groups in the right locations, at the right latitudes, with the expertise to read the forecast and move when the sky opens.