Tonight
Aug 26 - Aug 27
- 70 °F
16 percent cloud cover - 69 °F
2 percent cloud cover - 67 °F2 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 9:20 PM to 5:47 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at around 95%.
Aurora Forecast for Detroit, MI
Today at 8:00 PM
No activity
Cloud Cover:73%
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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| No activity | |
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Detroit, MI
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Tomorrow night
Aug 27 - Aug 28
- 75 °F6 percent cloud cover
- 72 °F10 percent cloud cover
- 70 °F23 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Aug 28 - Aug 29
- 73 °F20 percent cloud cover
- 68 °F5 percent cloud cover
- 65 °F6 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 09:20 PM to 05:47 AM (8 h 27 min)
Current Moon
Full Moon
98% illumination
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Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Detroit, MI
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Today. 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 | Saturday, September 12, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Sunday, September 13, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 6% illumination |
Monday, September 14, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 12% illumination | Tuesday, September 15, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 20% illumination | Wednesday, September 16, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 28% illumination | Thursday, September 17, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 37% illumination | Friday, September 18, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 47% illumination | Saturday, September 19, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 56% illumination | Sunday, September 20, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 65% illumination |
Monday, September 21, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 74% illumination | Tuesday, September 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 82% 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 3 to 3.7. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Detroit, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.