When to come
The best time to see the northern lights in Bettles and the Arctic
The northern lights are out all year. You need a dark sky to see them, and in Alaska that means late August to mid April. Nobody can forecast a display months ahead, but three things can be known: how long it is dark, where the moon will be, and how cloudy the month usually is. In Bettles's records, January is the clearest month of the season.
Dark-moon weeks coming up
Seven nights around each new moon, when the sky is darkest. A strong display shows through any moon, so treat these as a good default, not a rule. Our picks are the weeks in the months that are usually clearest.
Tue, Oct 6 to Tue, Oct 13, 2026
- New moon on Sat, Oct 10.
- About 10 hours of darkness a night.
- October usually has 11 of 32 days clear or partly cloudy.
Thu, Nov 5 to Thu, Nov 12, 2026
Our pick- New moon on Sun, Nov 8.
- About 13 hours of darkness a night.
- November usually has 15 of 29 days clear or partly cloudy.
Sat, Dec 5 to Sat, Dec 12, 2026
- New moon on Tue, Dec 8.
- About 15 hours of darkness a night.
- December usually has 16 of 31 days clear or partly cloudy.
Sun, Jan 3 to Sun, Jan 10, 2027
Our pick- New moon on Thu, Jan 7.
- About 15 hours of darkness a night.
- January usually has 20 of 31 days clear or partly cloudy.
Tue, Feb 2 to Tue, Feb 9, 2027
Our pick- New moon on Sat, Feb 6.
- About 12.5 hours of darkness a night.
- February usually has 14 of 28 days clear or partly cloudy.
Thu, Mar 4 to Thu, Mar 11, 2027
- New moon on Mon, Mar 8.
- About 9.5 hours of darkness a night.
- March usually has 14 of 30 days clear or partly cloudy.
Sat, Apr 3 to Sat, Apr 10, 2027
- New moon on Tue, Apr 6.
- About 4.5 hours of darkness a night.
- April usually has 17 of 30 days clear or partly cloudy.
Fri, Aug 27 to Fri, Sep 3, 2027
- New moon on Tue, Aug 31.
- About 3.5 hours of darkness a night.
- August usually has 10 of 31 days clear or partly cloudy.
Sun, Sep 26 to Sun, Oct 3, 2027
- New moon on Wed, Sep 29.
- About 8.5 hours of darkness a night.
- September usually has 14 of 30 days clear or partly cloudy.
Month by month
| Month | Dark hours a night | Usual sky | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 10.5 hours | 11 of 32 days clear or partly cloudy | |
| November 2026 | 14 hours | 15 of 29 days clear or partly cloudy | |
| December 2026 | 15.5 hours | 16 of 31 days clear or partly cloudy | |
| January 2027 | 14.5 hours | 20 of 31 days clear or partly cloudy | |
| February 2027 | 11.5 hours | 14 of 28 days clear or partly cloudy | |
| March 2027 | 8.5 hours | 14 of 30 days clear or partly cloudy | Displays tend to be stronger around the equinox. |
| April 2027 | 2 hours | 17 of 30 days clear or partly cloudy | Too light for the northern lights. |
| May 2027 | None | 18 of 31 days clear or partly cloudy | Too light for the northern lights. |
| June 2027 | None | 17 of 30 days clear or partly cloudy | Too light for the northern lights. |
| July 2027 | None | 12 of 31 days clear or partly cloudy | Too light for the northern lights. |
| August 2027 | None | 10 of 31 days clear or partly cloudy | Too light for the northern lights. |
| September 2027 | 6.5 hours | 14 of 30 days clear or partly cloudy | Displays tend to be stronger around the equinox. |
Dark hours are for the middle of each month, counted from when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon. Usual sky is a long-term average from NOAA's climate records (5 years of daytime observations at Bettles). It describes the month, not any one night.
Coming in the next few weeks?
Inside 27 days there is a real outlook: expected activity, cloud for the first week and the moon, night by night.