Where are the best dark-sky places to watch the aurora in Maine?

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument: Certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary with pristine Bortle 1 skies in central Maine. AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park (Greenville / Moosehead Lake): Huge north-facing lakes and zero municipal light pollution. Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge & Portage Lake (Northern ME): High geomagnetic latitude (~56°N) with wide agricultural and lake horizons. Acadia National Park (Cadillac Mountain & Jordan Pond): Famous granite summits and north-facing ponds on Mount Desert Island.

Home › Aurora Tonight › Maine

Can I See the Northern Lights in Maine Tonight?

Q: What Kp index is needed to see the Northern Lights in Maine?

Maine spans 53.0°N – 56.4°N geomagnetic latitude and requires approximately Kp 4.5 on the northern horizon and Kp 6.5 for overhead displays (Kp 4.5 (Active/G1) for Aroostook/Katahdin; G1 (Kp 5–5.5) for Acadia & Portland). Maine is the undisputed northern lights capital of New England: Aroostook County and the North Maine Woods reach 56°N geomagnetic latitude and hold the largest tract of Bortle Class 1 dark sky east of the Mississippi River. Northern Maine sees green auroral arcs at Kp 4.5, while Acadia National Park, Bangor, and Portland catch horizon displays at Kp 5 to 5.5 (NOAA G1 storm). Check the live box below—whenever Kp hits 5+ and skies are clear, find a north-facing lake or hilltop.

Live NOAA SWPC geomagnetic telemetry paired with centered-dipole geomagnetic latitudes (53.0°N – 56.4°N) and local horizon vs. overhead Kp thresholds for Maine. Updated Sun Nov 1, 12:02 AM ET (auto-refreshes every 60 seconds).

✦ IN PLAIN ENGLISH — THE 30-SECOND TAKEAWAY Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) · US States

Maine is the undisputed northern lights capital of New England: Aroostook County and the North Maine Woods reach 56°N geomagnetic latitude and hold the largest tract of Bortle Class 1 dark sky east of the Mississippi River. Northern Maine sees green auroral arcs at Kp 4.5, while Acadia National Park, Bangor, and Portland catch horizon displays at Kp 5 to 5.5 (NOAA G1 storm). Check the live box below—whenever Kp hits 5+ and skies are clear, find a north-facing lake or hilltop.

Geomagnetic Latitude & Look Direction

53.0°N – 56.4°N · Look toward the Northern horizon from a dark site away from city lights.

NOAA Kp & G-Scale Needed

Kp 4.5 (Active/G1) for Aroostook/Katahdin; G1 (Kp 5–5.5) for Acadia & Portland (Horizon: Kp 4.5 · Overhead: Kp 6.5).

☀ LIVE TONIGHT STATUS CARD

Live Tonight Status for Maine

Snapshot: Sun Nov 1, 12:02 AM ET · Refreshes every 60s

WATCH — Low on Northern Horizon (Kp 4.67 ≥ Kp 4.5)

NOAA's current/forecast peak Kp (4.67) reaches the northern-horizon threshold (Kp 4.5) for Maine. Find a dark viewpoint with an unobstructed northern horizon after 10 p.m. local time.

Current Planetary Kp Kp 4.67

Forecast Peak Kp Kp 4.67

Solar Wind Speed 532.0 km/s

IMF Bz (North/South) -2.0 nT

Maine Thresholds Kp 4.5 / 6.5

Best seasonal window: September – April · Look direction: North · Compare all 28 State, Province & Region Guides or check our Live Space Weather Dashboard.

City-by-City Aurora Thresholds in Maine

Centered-dipole geomagnetic latitudes (WMM2025 pole at 80.85°N, 72.76°W) and minimum Kp required on the northern horizon vs. directly overhead. Status badges update automatically from live NOAA telemetry.

City / Area	Coordinates	Geomagnetic Lat	Horizon Kp	Overhead Kp	Tonight's Live Status
Caribou / Presque Isle (Aroostook), ME High geomagnetic latitude (~55.9°N) and dark Aroostook skies; Kp 4.5	46.87°N, 68.01°W	56.0°N	Kp 4.5	Kp 5.5	WATCH — Northern Horizon (Kp 4.5+)
Millinocket / Katahdin Woods, ME International Dark Sky Sanctuary; active horizon displays at Kp 4.5–5	45.66°N, 68.71°W	54.8°N	Kp 5.0	Kp 6.0	QUIET — Needs Kp 5.0+
Bar Harbor / Bangor (Acadia), ME Cadillac Mountain & Schoodic Point; northern horizon at Kp 5	44.39°N, 68.20°W	53.5°N	Kp 5.5	Kp 7.0	QUIET — Needs Kp 5.5+
Portland, ME Visible at Kp 5–5.5 from dark coastal or lakeside sites north of town	43.66°N, 70.26°W	52.8°N	Kp 5.5	Kp 7.0	QUIET — Needs Kp 5.5+

Best Dark-Sky Viewing Locations in Maine

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument: Certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary with pristine Bortle 1 skies in central Maine.
AMC Maine Woods International Dark Sky Park (Greenville / Moosehead Lake): Huge north-facing lakes and zero municipal light pollution.
Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge & Portage Lake (Northern ME): High geomagnetic latitude (~56°N) with wide agricultural and lake horizons.
Acadia National Park (Cadillac Mountain & Jordan Pond): Famous granite summits and north-facing ponds on Mount Desert Island.

Seasonal & Cloud Timing for Maine

East Coast dark-sky sanctuary: Unlike the heavily lit I-95 corridor, interior and northern Maine have virtually zero light domes to the north before the St. Lawrence River.
September–October foliage & aurora season: Early autumn pairs Acadia and Moosehead Lake reflections with the September equinox storm peak.
Inland vs. coastal fog: If marine fog rolls into Bar Harbor or Portland, driving 30–45 minutes inland toward Bangor or Sebago Lake often brings clear skies.

Phone & Camera Settings for Maine (53.0°N – 56.4°N Geomagnetic)

3–5 second exposures over Maine lakes: Moosehead, Rangeley, and Jordan Pond create mirror reflections of green and purple curtains at f/2.8, ISO 3200.
Smartphone Night Mode on granite ledges: Prop your phone on a mini tripod on Cadillac Mountain or a lakeside dock for 3–5 second shots.
Watch for purple & pink nitrogen borders: As captured in our Cape Neddick, Maine G5 photo on `/aurora-tonight/`, strong storms produce vivid purple and pink curtains across Maine.

Want step-by-step exposure tables? Read our full iPhone, Android & Camera Aurora Photography Guide and Aurora & Solar Observing Gear Guide.

Vetted Dark-Sky Stays, Guided Chases & Field Guides for Maine

Planning an overnight dark-sky trip in Maine (Bar Harbor, Maine, US) or comparing high-latitude lodges directly under the auroral oval? Use the vetted links below:

Search Maine Stays on Booking.com → Compare Maine Hotels on Expedia → Browse Maine Night & Sky Tours (GetYourGuide) →

38 Vetted 3★+ Aurora Resorts, Glass Igloos & Wilderness Lodges: Compare top-rated stays (4.3+/5 across 100+ reviews) in Fairbanks, Yellowknife, Churchill, Tromsø, Abisko, Rovaniemi, and Iceland.
Aurora Chasing & Space Weather Field Guides: Vetted books by Dr. Melanie Windridge, Tom Kerss (Royal Observatory Greenwich), and Dr. Stuart Clark on Books & Further Reading (Bookshop.org).
All 78 Cities & 28 State/Region Tonight Guides · 78-City Aurora Calculator · Live Space Weather Dashboard · Free Embeddable Space Weather Widget

FTC affiliate disclosure: Lodging links above route to Booking.com and Expedia via Stay22 (aid=solarevidence, campaign=aurora-maine), activity links go to GetYourGuide (partner_id=Z35Q282), and book links go to Bookshop.org (130218). If you book or buy through them, Solar Evidence may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. All affiliate links carry rel="sponsored nofollow noopener". Commissions never affect our NOAA data thresholds or evidence ratings. Affiliate policy.