Live aurora forecast
The current and next-24-hour planetary Kp index from NOAA — the global measure of geomagnetic activity that drives the northern (and southern) lights.
Live aurora forecast (Kp index)
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What the Kp index means
Kp runs from 0 (very quiet) to 9 (extreme storm). The higher it climbs, the further from the poles the aurora spreads. As a rough guide:
- Kp 0–2: only the far Arctic (Tromsø, Fairbanks, Yellowknife).
- Kp 3–4: down to northern Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the northern US border states.
- Kp 5–6 (G1–G2 storm): mid-latitudes — much of the UK, the northern US.
- Kp 7–9 (G3–G5 storm): rare, dramatic displays seen far south.
Check your own location's chance below — you still need a dark, clear sky to actually see it.