Michigan · United States
Can I see the northern lights tonight in Michigan?
The reference points below reach different assessments. Use the one nearest you, or set your exact position.
| Reference point | Assessment | Local modeled activity | Cloud at forecast time | Fully dark (current or next night) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Harbor (Keweenaw) | Wait for a real gap in the clouds. | 1 · NOAA grid indicator | 70% | 19:12–05:59 |
| Marquette (Upper Peninsula) | Wait for a real gap in the clouds. | 1 · NOAA grid indicator | 100% | 19:10–05:57 |
| Traverse City (northern Lower) | Wait for a real gap in the clouds. | 0 · NOAA grid indicator | 100% | 19:04–05:49 |
| Detroit (southeast) | Check the poleward sky before travelling. | 0 · NOAA grid indicator | 53% | 18:55–05:37 |
Indicators are NOAA OVATION grid values, not personal viewing probabilities. Each row is a separate calculation; none stands for the whole state. Darkness is astronomical darkness (Sun 18° below the horizon) in each point's local time.
Calculated local. NOAA forecast valid 6 Nov, 22:56 local; darkness and clouds are assessed at that time for each point.
Michigan stretches from about 41.7° N at the Ohio and Indiana border to over 47° N at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Aurora reaching the Keweenaw does not mean it reaches Detroit, so modeled activity, darkness and cloud are assessed separately at each reference point below; no single number stands for the whole state.
Source: GeoNames — MichiganAurora appears toward the north from Michigan, so a dark, unobstructed northern horizon matters most. The Lake Superior shoreline of the Upper Peninsula, from the Keweenaw to Marquette and beyond, faces open water to the north, far from the light of southern Michigan's cities.
Source: NOAA aurora viewing guidanceReference coordinates: Copper Harbor 47.468°, -87.889° · Marquette 46.544°, -87.395° · Traverse City 44.763°, -85.621° · Detroit 42.331°, -83.046° (America/Detroit).
