Space Weather Live
REAL-TIME KP INDEX · SOLAR WIND · GEOMAGNETIC STORM ALERTS · DATA: NOAA SWPC
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Aurora Visibility by Kp
| Kp 0–2 | Aurora only near magnetic poles — Alaska, Norway, Iceland |
| Kp 3–4 | Northern Canada, Scandinavia, southern Alaska |
| Kp 5 | G1 Storm — northern US border states, northern Europe |
| Kp 6 | G2 Storm — Oregon, Wisconsin, New York, Germany |
| Kp 7 | G3 Storm — California, Pennsylvania, UK |
| Kp 8–9 | G4–G5 Extreme — Aurora visible at mid-latitudes globally |
What Is Space Weather?
Space weather refers to conditions on the Sun and in the solar wind that can affect Earth's magnetic field, satellites, power grids, radio communications, and GPS. Geomagnetic storms — rated G1–G5 — are caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) interacting with Earth's magnetosphere. The Kp index measures global geomagnetic activity every 3 hours on a scale of 0–9.
Understanding Solar Wind Bz
The Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field is the single most important aurora predictor. When Bz turns negative (southward), it connects with Earth's northward magnetic field, allowing solar energy in to drive geomagnetic storms. A sustained Bz of −10 nT or lower significantly increases aurora chances. Data from NOAA SWPC.