Aurora activity (Kp)
0–3 Quiet4 Active5 Minor storm6 Moderate storm7 Strong storm8–9 Severe
Last 24 hours
Next hours · viewing hours shaded
Long-term outlook · next 27 days
Solar wind · last 3 hours
Speed
Density
Bz · the door
The aurora oval over Fairbanks
Fairbanks
Looking straight down on the top of the world. The glowing ring is the aurora oval, modeled from Kp. When activity rises the ring grows and slides south; when it's quiet the ring shrinks toward the pole.
Fairbanks sits right under the ring on most nights, which is why aurora here doesn't need a big storm. Clear, dark sky usually matters more than Kp.
Sunspots facing Earth
