Kp index. Geomagnetic kp and ap Indices 2020-02-03

Aurora Forecast

. The index ranges from 0, for low activity, to 9, which means that an intense geomagnetic storm is under way. Despite popular belief, the Kp index is not a good source for aurora forecasting and nowcasting. It means that the other stations used to calculate the average did not undergo quite as high perturbations. And so on and so forth. About the Data: Every three hours throughout the day, magnetic observatories around the world measure the largest magnetic change that their instruments recorded during this time.

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These high energy particles can ‘excite’ by collisions valence electrons that are bound to the neutral atom. This chart updates every minute. Follow real-time data that will be provided by the same services solar wind speed, density, Bz, Bt, ovation model. The three-hour range index measuring geomagnetic activity. The image shows estimated aurora activity now.

Kp

Visitors to Fairbanks should plan to watch from a hill away from city lights with a clear view of the horizon, since the aurora can occur in any part of the sky. So we would recommend if the maps says you need kp6, then go out when it is Kp5, because you might get lucky. The overall impression is a greenish-whitish glow. This usually works fine but there can be small differences between the real-time estimate and the official value since the network of observatories is not identical. As this index increases, the aurora's southern edge moves southward.

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This is especially true before 2 or 3 a. Therefore, to maximize your prospects of seeing it, try finding a wide open field, hill or beach area that will give you un-obscured views of the sky. In those conditions small problems may be magnified into disaster at a site that is too remote. Northern Lights may or may not be visible. The three-hour range index measuring geomagnetic activity.

Kp

The magnetometer works by measuring the total deviation of the horizontal module of a magnetic field found in its location, then reports this information so that it can be used to determine the intensity of aurora borealis in a specific location. Live stream from Aurora Service wilderness cabin in Muotkatunturi Wilderness Area, in Finnish Lapland. The label 'K' comes from the German word 'Kennziffer' meaning 'characteristic digit. If the Kp-index is slightly less than the line shows for a given location, the aurora may still appear low on the horizon. The aurora is a luminous glow seen around the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres.

Geomagnetic kp and ap Indices

The Kp-index is calculated by combining the data from multiple magnetic observatories around the world to determine the global planetary index. The larger the index 7+ the more active the Earth's magnetic field becomes due to a storm from the sun. This dramatic form occurs when you are directly beneath the swirls and folds of an active curtain. Since these observatories do not report their data in real-time, various operations centers around the globe estimate the index based on data available from their local network of observatories. To obtain an equivalent amplitude in nanotesla for Boulder or Fredericksburg, the index value must be doubled. Kp-indices of 5 or greater indicate storm-level geomagnetic activity.

Aurora Forecast

What is the auroral oval? Air Force Space Forecast Center using data from ground-based magnetometers: Meanook, Canada; Sitka, Alaska; Glenlea, Canada; Saint Johns, Canada; Ottawa, Canada; Newport, Washington; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Boulder, Colorado; and Fresno, California. Streams of charged particles that produce the aurora come from the corona, the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere. Where does the Kp index come from? The scale is O to 9 expressed in thirds of a unit, e. Keep yourself updated on current and upcoming space weather to anticipate potential events. The top of the visible aurora peters out at about 120 to 200 miles 200 to 300 kilometers , but sometimes aurora can be seen as high as 350 miles 600 kilometers.

All about the Kp index » Aurora Service (Europe)

A index The A-index is calculated for individual magnetometer stations. Fairly strong auroral activity is required for aurora viewing in those locations. More About the Map I used the information found on to determine where the Kp lines would be. Red aurorae and coronae very likely. Can you hear the aurora? In North Dakota, Michigan, Quebec, and central Scandinavia, you might be able to see aurora on the northern horizon when activity picks up a little.

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Generally once the Kp-index reaches a certain threshold it will fill the northern half of the sky in the northern hemisphere all the way up to the zenith along the corresponding line on the map. From April 22 to August 20 although the sun does set the sky never gets dark enough in Fairbanks to see the aurora even if it was a spectacular display. What can I use instead? Sunlight and clouds are the biggest obstacles to auroral observations. In practice this means that observatories at higher geomagnetic latitude require higher levels of fluctuation for a given K-index. It uses a magnetometer to do it and the result is a local K index. Sometimes changes in the suns activity can cause big changes in Kp.

the Planetary K index

The estimated Kp index is derived at the U. Because of the non-linear relationship of the K-scale to magnetometer fluctuations, it is not meaningful to take averages of a set of K indices. The combined effect of many photons being released from many atoms results in the aurora display that you see. We cannot stress enough that these forecasts cannot be trusted with certitude. A geomagnetic storm starts at Kp5 after which the G-scale is also used. On my google nexus 7 I use an app called and have it on about 20% or 30% brightness. It is not a plot map where you can definitely say auroras will be visible.