Local aurora viewing guidance
Launch countdown · 1 January 2027
55 days, 7 hours and 27 minutes until the planned iPhone launch.
Velvet Hours is not confirmed on the App Store yet. This page will say so when it is.
Planned iPhone launch · January 1, 2027Countdown paused until the time can be checked.
Before you
call it a night.
An app to help you decide whether it’s worth stepping outside for the aurora, with local conditions explained in plain language.
Coming soon for iPhone.Android coming soon
Tonight’s calls
Whitehorse
YTGo
Nothing in particular is in the way.
- Cloud
- 1%
- Sky
- Dark
- For
- 1:25 a.m.
Issued 27 minutes ago, good for 43 minutes more.
Out of date
This call has expired. Check back in a few minutes.
Yellowknife
NTNo
Cloud rules it out.
- Cloud
- 87%
- Sky
- Dark
- For
- 2:25 a.m.
Issued 27 minutes ago, good for 43 minutes more.
Out of date
This call has expired. Check back in a few minutes.
Iqaluit
NUNo
Cloud rules it out.
- Cloud
- 100%
- Sky
- Dark
- For
- 3:25 a.m.
Issued 27 minutes ago, good for 43 minutes more.
Out of date
This call has expired. Check back in a few minutes.
Drag to rotate · + and − to zoom · hover or focus a town for tonight’s callDrag sideways to rotate · + and − to zoom · tap a town for tonight’s call
Auroral oval · NOAA SWPC OVATION · forecast for 9:19 a.m. UTC
Auroral oval · NOAA SWPC OVATION · recorded sample, not live
Illustration · a recorded view of the globe, not live
Tonight’s calls are the website’s forecasts for three northern towns, so you can see what a call looks like. The oval is modelled auroral activity, not a viewing call, and neither says where the app will work.