Northern lights in Tennessee: can you see them, and tonight's chances

How strong a storm each city in Tennessee needs

The farther a place is from the magnetic pole, the stronger the geomagnetic storm needed to push the aurora into view. These levels come from each city's geomagnetic latitude and NOAA's storm scale, which says how far south aurora is usually seen at each level. They are for aurora low on the northern horizon from a dark spot; overhead displays need more. Across Tennessee the level ranges from Kp 7.9 (G4) in Clarksville to Kp 8.2 (G4) in Cleveland.

City	Geomagnetic latitude	Aurora usually needs
Clarksville	45.4°	Kp 7.9 (G4)
Johnson City	45.3°	Kp 7.9 (G4)
Nashville	45°	Kp 8 (G4)
Knoxville	44.9°	Kp 8 (G4)
Gallatin	45.2°	Kp 8 (G4)
Cookeville	45°	Kp 8 (G4)
Murfreesboro	44.7°	Kp 8.1 (G4)
Jackson	44.4°	Kp 8.1 (G4)
Spring Hill	44.6°	Kp 8.1 (G4)
Memphis	43.8°	Kp 8.2 (G4)
Chattanooga	44°	Kp 8.2 (G4)
Cleveland	44.1°	Kp 8.2 (G4)

How these levels are worked out: our methods.

Can you see the northern lights in Tennessee?

Only during the biggest storms. Tennessee sits near 45 degrees geomagnetic latitude, the line NOAA’s scale gives for severe storms, with Alabama as its example. Severe storms come on about 60 days per 11-year solar cycle and extreme ones only a few times per cycle. Even then the aurora usually stays low in the north. The table above compares tonight’s forecast with each city’s level.

What May 2024 showed

NASA calls the May 10–11, 2024 storm the strongest to reach Earth in two decades. WSMV reported that Middle Tennesseans had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the aurora that Friday evening, and, citing WBIR, that the last time it could be seen in Tennessee was in November 2004 and January 2005. NASA says the storm’s auroras reached the southern US, with reports down to about 26 degrees magnetic latitude.

Where to look

Pickett CCC Memorial State Park and Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area: on the Cumberland Plateau near the Kentucky line, certified as an International Dark Sky Park in 2015.
Obed Wild and Scenic River: also on the plateau, certified as an International Dark Sky Park in 2017.
Open ground facing north: fields and lakeshores beat forested valleys, where ridges hide the low sky.

Tips

Use your camera. NOAA notes that a dim aurora looks pale to the eye and shows color on a camera.
Escape the city glow. Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga brighten wide areas.
Watch for storm watches. Tennessee’s chances come only with severe or extreme storms, and NOAA can usually forecast those about a day ahead.

Read how to see the northern lights and browse certified dark-sky places. Neighbors: Kentucky and Alabama.

Dark-sky places near Nashville

Certified dark-sky places are among the best spots to watch for aurora: little light pollution and, often, open views to the north.

Mammoth Cave National Park (International Dark Sky Park, 2021): 80 miles NE of Nashville.

Obed Wild and Scenic River (International Dark Sky Park, 2017): 111 miles E of Nashville.

Pickett CCC Memorial State Park & Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area (International Dark Sky Park, 2015): 112 miles E of Nashville.

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (International Dark Sky Park, 2020): 230 miles E of Nashville.

Mayland Earth to Sky Park & Bare Dark Sky Observatory (International Dark Sky Park, 2014): 258 miles E of Nashville.

Questions and answers

Can you see the northern lights in Nashville or Knoxville?

During the biggest storms, yes, though city light hides much of it. Drive out of town to a dark spot with an open view north.

Are the Smoky Mountains good for the aurora?

Peaks and ridges block the low northern sky, where the aurora appears in Tennessee, so pick an open overlook facing north, well away from town lights.

Why did photos look brighter than the sky?

Phone night modes collect light for several seconds and record color. A faint aurora that looks gray to the eye shows pink and green on the screen.

Northern lights in Tennessee

Tonight's northern lights forecast