Space Weather

Geomagnetic activity & aurora outlook

Current Kp-Index 1.0 Quiet
Geomagnetic Storm (G) 0 None
Solar Radiation (S) 0 None
Radio Blackout (R) 0 None

Aurora Forecast — OVATION Model

NOAA's 30-90 minute aurora forecast, looping through the last 6 hours of frames. The green/red oval shows where the aurora is likely to be visible right now — click an image to enlarge. View source imagery on NOAA →

Northern Hemisphere

NOAA OVATION aurora forecast, Northern Hemisphere

Southern Hemisphere

NOAA OVATION aurora forecast, Southern Hemisphere

Recent Space Weather Alerts

2026-08-17 21:01:58.877

Space Weather Message Code: WARK04 Serial Number: 5402 Issue Time: 2026 Aug 17 2101 UTC WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected Valid From: 2026 Aug 17 2101 UTC Valid To: 2026 Aug 18 0600 UTC …

View Full Alert on NOAA →
2026-08-17 21:05:28.767

Space Weather Message Code: ALTK04 Serial Number: 2680 Issue Time: 2026 Aug 17 2105 UTC ALERT: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 Threshold Reached: 2026 Aug 17 2059 UTC Synoptic Period: 1800-2100 Active Warning: YES Comment: NOAA …

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2026-08-17 22:46:24.740

Space Weather Message Code: WATA20 Serial Number: 1121 Issue Time: 2026 Aug 17 2246 UTC WATCH: Geomagnetic Storm Category G1 Predicted Highest Storm Level Predicted by Day: Aug 18: None (Below G1) Aug 19: G1 …

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2026-08-18 02:27:00.810

Space Weather Message Code: WARK05 Serial Number: 2259 Issue Time: 2026 Aug 18 0227 UTC WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 5 expected Valid From: 2026 Aug 18 0224 UTC Valid To: 2026 Aug 18 1200 UTC …

View Full Alert on NOAA →
2026-08-18 02:27:43.313

Space Weather Message Code: WARK04 Serial Number: 5403 Issue Time: 2026 Aug 18 0227 UTC EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected Extension to Serial Number: 5402 Valid From: 2026 Aug 17 2101 UTC Now …

View Full Alert on NOAA →

Kp Forecast

09-17 00:00Z 4.0
09-17 03:00Z 4.7
09-17 06:00Z 3.7
09-17 09:00Z 3.3
09-17 12:00Z 3.3
09-17 15:00Z 3.3
09-17 18:00Z 3.3
09-17 21:00Z 3.3
09-18 00:00Z 3.7
09-18 03:00Z 2.0
09-18 06:00Z 2.0
09-18 09:00Z 2.7
09-18 12:00Z 2.7
09-18 15:00Z 2.7
09-18 18:00Z 2.7
09-18 21:00Z 3.0

Aurora Visibility Guide

Rough guide only — local cloud cover, moon phase, and light pollution all affect what's actually visible.

Kp 0–2 Quiet Arctic Circle only — northern Alaska and far northern Canada.
Kp 3 Unsettled Northern Canada and Alaska.
Kp 4 Active Northern-tier US on the horizon — northern MT, ND, MN, WI, MI, ME.
Kp 5 Minor Storm (G1) Northern US states — WA, MT, ND, MN, WI, MI, NY, ME.
Kp 6 Moderate Storm (G2) Further south — OR, ID, WY, SD, IA, IL, PA, NJ.
Kp 7 Strong Storm (G3) Much of the northern half of the US — NV, UT, CO, NE, KS, MO, OH, VA.
Kp 8 Severe Storm (G4) As far south as CA, AZ, NM, TX, AL, GA — rare.
Kp 9 Extreme Storm (G5) Potentially visible across nearly the entire continental US — very rare.
Expanded view