Northern Lights in Belgium: When, Where and How to See Them

You probably associate the northern lights with Lapland or Iceland. Yet in recent years the sky over Belgium has turned pink, red and green more than once. It is rare and you need some luck, but with the right preparation you can improve your chances. Our North Light Hoodie, with a tent under a curtain of northern lights, is a good start. In this article you will read why the aurora sometimes reaches us, how to follow the forecasts and how to photograph it.

How do the northern lights form?

The sun constantly hurls charged particles into space. During a powerful eruption, a whole cloud of those particles heads for Earth. They collide with our magnetic field and make oxygen and nitrogen atoms high in the atmosphere, above 100 km, glow. That glow is the aurora.

Usually it stays near the polar regions. Only during a very powerful solar storm does it shift so far south that we can see it in Belgium.

Why have we seen it so often in recent years?

The sun has a cycle of about 11 years, with quiet and active years. The current cycle peaked around October 2024. Activity is now slowly declining, but for the time being it remains high enough for surprises. You could see that in these recent sightings in Belgium:

According to the weather agency Meteovista, your best chances are around the equinoxes: in March and April, and in September and October. The Earth's magnetic field is disturbed more often then. On top of that, it is properly dark at night from late August to late April. So right now, in October, you are in a good period.

Which Kp index do you need?

The strength of a magnetic storm is expressed in the Kp index, on a scale from 0 to 9. For Belgium, as a rule of thumb you need a Kp of 6 or higher. The Belgian space weather centre STCE says the northern lights only become truly visible to the naked eye during the most severe storm, level 9.

The RMI (Royal Meteorological Institute) also measures its own local K index at Dourbes and Manhay. It can differ slightly from the global Kp, but the principle is the same: the higher, the better.

How to follow the forecasts

You can see a solar storm coming roughly one to three days in advance. These sources are handy:

• STCE (Royal Observatory of Belgium): warnings for powerful solar storms, at stce.be.
• RMI: the local Belgian K index, at meteo.be.
• SpaceWeatherLive: current Kp index and aurora forecast.
• NOAA SWPC: the American space weather service, with a Kp forecast for the coming days.

Bear in mind that, as with the weather, a forecast is no guarantee. A storm can turn out weaker or arrive at the wrong moment, for example during the day.

Where is the best place to look?

• Look north. Here the northern lights appear low on the northern horizon. An open view without trees or buildings matters more than a high spot.
• Seek out the dark. Avoid cities and street lamps. In the north of the country, such as the Kempen, your chances are slightly better.
• Mind the moon and the weather. A full moon makes the northern lights harder to see, and clouds block everything. Check our full moon calendar 2026.
• Be patient. The northern lights often come in waves. In May 2024 they were at first only visible in photos, and only became truly spectacular around midnight.

Finding a dark spot for the northern lights is the same as for the stars. Our tips are in stargazing in Belgium. If you like to stay out long under the starry sky, wear the Star Map Hoodie, with a campfire under a starry sky.

Photographing the northern lights

A camera often picks up more colour than you see with your eyes. That is why many people only discover the northern lights in their photos.

With your smartphone

• Switch on night mode (on some devices it is called astrophotography).
• Keep your device completely still: rest it on a wall or use a small tripod.
• Point it north and take several photos.

With a camera

National Geographic gives these tips:

• Use a tripod and the self-timer.
• Focus manually on a bright star.
• Choose a wide aperture (a low f-number, such as f/2.8) and a shutter speed of 1 to 10 seconds.
• Raise the ISO rather than making the shutter speed much longer. Otherwise the movement of the light blurs.

Bring warm clothes, because you will be standing still for a long time in the night cold. A warm layer such as the Lunar Horizon Sweatshirt, with a mountain landscape under the moon, keeps you warm while you wait.

Why are the northern lights in Belgium often pink or red?

In photos from Norway you mainly see green, and our eyes are also most sensitive to green light. Here, the northern lights are often reported as pink or red. Those colours are rarer and depend on how deep the particles penetrate the atmosphere. In November 2025, people in Belgium saw red northern lights with the naked eye.

Incidentally: if you are waiting for the northern lights at night, with a bit of luck you may also hear an owl calling. Read more in owls in Belgium, or put on the Night Watch Hoodie, with an owl on a pine branch.

Frequently asked questions

Can you see the northern lights in Belgium?

Yes, but only during a very powerful solar storm. In recent years that happened in May 2024, October 2024, November 2025 and January 2026, among other times.

Which Kp index do you need to see the northern lights in Belgium?

As a rule of thumb, a Kp of 6 or higher. With the naked eye it only becomes truly clear during the most severe storms, level 9.

Why do you see the northern lights better in a photo than with your eyes?

A camera gathers more light and colour than your eyes do in the dark. Faint northern lights can therefore look pink or green in a photo, while with the naked eye you only see a grey glow.

For those who look up at night

Whether or not the northern lights appear: a night under the stars is always worth it. Discover all our designs with stars, moon and northern lights in the Night Sky collection, such as the Crescent Peak T-shirt with a crescent moon above a mountain peak. Shipping is free across the EU from €45 (otherwise €4.99).