![]() ![]() If you go to their website and press play, you’ll see an animated graphic with the Northern Lights viewing forecast for today. The Ovation Auroral forecast provides a short-term Aurora forecast. I use the display of SpaceWeatherlive since they also show the moon phase and it’s very intuitive to use. The best way to forecast the Northern Lights in advance is by using the long-term KP index. It is difficult to predict the Northern Lights over the long term.Ĭoronal mass ejections, which cause most of the solar storms and, therefore, stronger Auroras, are forecast 15 days in advance, but their strength and shape can vary once they get closer to Earth. Long-Term Northern Lights forecast – Long-term KP Index KP6 indicates a solar storm of grade G2, KP7 means a solar storm of grade G3, KP8 means a solar storm of grade G4 and KP9 solar storm of grade G5, the maximum ever recorded. It is already considered a solar storm of grade G1 at KP5. Aurora coronas are common and the Northern Lights can be visible at lower latitudes such as California, France, and even northern Spain. They can cover the entire sky and show rarer colors like red. Aurora coronas are also possible and the Northern Lights can be visible at lower latitudes, such as in England or the Northern states of the USA. You can see how they move across the sky and they’ll possibly show vivid colors like yellow, bluish, or purple tones. ![]() KP 4 to 6: The Northern Lights are active. The predominant color is green, and they are most visible in the northern sky at high latitudes. KP 1 to 3: Auroras are usually quiet and faint. KP is just an indicator, but in most situations: The higher the KP-index the more likely you are to see a big Northern Lights display at a high latitude.įor example, with a KP 3, you’re very likely to see the Northern Lights in Iceland, but if you want to see the Northern Lights in England, the data says that you’ll need a KP 5 or higher.The higher the KP-index the further south you can see the Northern Lights.The KP-index has a range of 0-9, and, generally speaking, has the following implications for the Northern Lights forecast: Here you can learn a little more about what causes the northern lights. This Aurora forecast indicator (known as “planetary K-index”), is simply a scale to measure the geomagnetic activity that is directly related to Northern Lights visibility. The KP index is the most common way to forecast the Northern Lights, and you can use it both for short-term and long-term Aurora prediction. In the Northern Lights forecast, there are three main indicators for tracking the Aurora: The forecast is updated around 6pm daily so it’s best to keep a close eye on the forecast before heading out on your hunt.įor more information on viewing the Northern Lights in winter time, please read this article.Now, let’s learn to read the Aurora forecast and the Northern Lights maps so you can predict the Northern Lights in real-time. When it is partly cloudy (light green areas) you still have a chance seeing the lights by finding a gap in the clouds. The reason why we want to have the areas without clouds (or light clouds) is because it is impossible to see the lights when the sky is covered with clouds. The light green means partly cloudy and dark green means very cloudy so a low chance for sightings as the visibility is low.īasically if you can see the stars, then you have a chance of seeing the lights. This is ideal as you need to have a clear sky to see the Northern Lights. The white colour in the forecast means no clouds, so clear sky. On the map you can see areas of white, light green and dark green. ![]() The white areas are where you need to head for. It’s a little confusing as the green colour is very similar to the colour of the actual Northern Lights but in fact the map shows green as cloud coverage and white as clear skies. The map is updated daily and gives you an indication of Northern Lights viewing. ![]()
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