I’m in Finland now, currently in Helsinki. In a few days I will be headed up to a city called Rovaniemi, on the arctic circle, in hopes of seeing some Northern Lights.

Being a geek, I thought it would be best to read reviews on various northern lights apps, that could monitor the possible occurrences and send me an alert.

The best information I found from was Rich Hoeg, on his website: http://www.northstarnerd.org/

Here are his updated recommendations for apps:

  • Apps:
    • AuroraNotifier – This app is my primary choice for my Nexus 10. One does not need the premium version. It does a great job of giving updates on short term viewing prospects (one hour forecast), and has a customizable alert which may be configured by the Kp index.
  • Web Sites with a Home Screen Bookmark on my Tablet:
    • Aurora Forecast from the University of Alaska – A wealth of data may be found upon the Alaska site including long term forecasts, short term forecasts, and free email alerts. Visit the University of Alaska web site and out fill out their brief form. You will then receive email alerts whenever the Kp index is greater than a “4”
    • Ovation Aurora from the NOAA (National Weather Service) – See screenshot. This excellent map is color coded and lets me know the probabilty for viewing in my region