Tonight
Aug 15 - Aug 16
- 75 °F
99 percent cloud cover - 73 °F
100 percent cloud cover - 73 °F100 percent cloud cover
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Northern Lights Forecast for Detroit
Detroit, Michigan, United States
42°19′53.0″N ⋅ 83°2′44.9″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
No significant aurora activity is expected in Detroit over the next 24 hours. Sky will be dark from 9:39 PM to 5:33 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at around 100%.
Aurora Forecast for Detroit, MI
Today at 2:00 PM
No activity
Cloud Cover:98%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Detroit
| Local time | Aurora activity |
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| No activity | |
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Detroit, MI
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Tomorrow night
Aug 16 - Aug 17
- 75 °F
9 percent cloud cover - 74 °F
14 percent cloud cover - 73 °F10 percent cloud cover
Monday night
Aug 17 - Aug 18
- 74 °F10 percent cloud cover
- 68 °F20 percent cloud cover
- 68 °F6 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 09:39 PM to 05:33 AM (7 h 54 min)
Current Moon
Waxing Crescent
10% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Detroit, MI
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, August 15, 2026. Today. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 10% illumination | Sunday, August 16, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 17% illumination | |||||
Monday, August 17, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 25% illumination | Tuesday, August 18, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 35% illumination | Wednesday, August 19, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 44% illumination | Thursday, August 20, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 54% illumination | Friday, August 21, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 63% illumination | Saturday, August 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 72% illumination | Sunday, August 23, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 80% illumination |
Monday, August 24, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 87% illumination | Tuesday, August 25, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 93% illumination | Wednesday, August 26, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 97% illumination | Thursday, August 27, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination | Friday, August 28, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination | Saturday, August 29, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination | Sunday, August 30, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 94% illumination |
Monday, August 31, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 88% illumination | Tuesday, September 1, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 80% illumination | Wednesday, September 2, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 70% illumination | Thursday, September 3, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 60% illumination | Friday, September 4, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 48% illumination | Saturday, September 5, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 37% illumination | Sunday, September 6, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 26% illumination |
Monday, September 7, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 17% illumination | Tuesday, September 8, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 9% illumination | Wednesday, September 9, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 3% illumination | Thursday, September 10, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination | Friday, September 11, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination |
LowAurora ActivityHigh
Seeing the Aurora in Detroit
Located in the Michigan region of United States, Detroit is a notable destination for night sky watchers. Situated far south at 42.3°, the auroral oval rarely reaches this area. Keep a close eye on space weather forecasts and be ready to travel to darker skies if a severe storm hits.
FAQ
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Detroit?
In Detroit, you usually need at least Kp 8 to have a reasonable chance of seeing the northern lights. Lower Kp can still bring a faint aurora display low on the northern horizon, but it is less common.
This is based on magnetic latitude, and Kp index is a global geomagnetic index, so treat it as a rule of thumb, not a location-specific guarantee.
Tonight, the NOAA Kp index forecast is 2 to 2.8. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Detroit, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.