Kp Index Today
Kp is 2.0 right now: quiet. At this level the aurora reaches 5 of our 46 cities' thresholds.
Last 24 hours and next 3 days
| Block (UTC) | Kp | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 9 15:00 UTC | 2.7 | Unsettled | estimated |
| Nov 9 18:00 UTC | 3.7 | Active | estimated |
| Nov 9 21:00 UTC | 4.7 | Minor storm (G1) | estimated |
| Nov 10 00:00 UTC | 3.7 | Active | predicted |
| Nov 10 03:00 UTC | 3.7 | Active | predicted |
| Nov 10 06:00 UTC | 2.7 | Unsettled | predicted |
| Nov 10 09:00 UTC | 2.7 | Unsettled | predicted |
| Nov 10 12:00 UTC | 1.7 | Quiet | predicted |
27-day Kp forecast
NOAA 27-day outlook (daily maximum Kp), issued Nov 9. It repeats the Sun's 27-day rotation, so it flags recurring active days but cannot see new eruptions.
What Kp do I need?
The Kp at which the aurora reaches each city's horizon for the naked eye.
| City | Kp needed | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Nuuk Greenland | 1.0 | reached |
| Yellowknife Northwest Territories | 1.0 | reached |
| Tromsø Norway | 1.0 | reached |
| Fairbanks Alaska | 1.6 | reached |
| Reykjavik Iceland | 1.9 | reached |
| Rovaniemi Lapland | 2.1 | 0.1 short |
| Whitehorse Yukon | 2.2 | 0.2 short |
| Juneau Alaska | 3.0 | 1.0 short |
| Anchorage Alaska | 3.0 | 1.0 short |
| Edmonton Alberta | 3.2 | 1.2 short |
| Saskatoon Saskatchewan | 3.3 | 1.3 short |
| Winnipeg Manitoba | 3.6 | 1.6 short |
| Regina Saskatchewan | 3.6 | 1.6 short |
| Calgary Alberta | 3.8 | 1.8 short |
| Oslo Norway | 4.0 | 2.0 short |
| Kelowna British Columbia | 4.3 | 2.3 short |
| Inverness Scotland | 4.5 | 2.5 short |
| Aberdeen Scotland | 4.6 | 2.6 short |
| Vancouver British Columbia | 4.7 | 2.7 short |
| Hobart Tasmania | 4.8 | 2.8 short |
| Ottawa Ontario | 4.8 | 2.8 short |
| Spokane Washington | 4.8 | 2.8 short |
| Montreal Quebec | 4.9 | 2.9 short |
| Seattle Washington | 5.0 | 3.0 short |
| Edinburgh Scotland | 5.0 | 3.0 short |
| Glasgow Scotland | 5.0 | 3.0 short |
| Toronto Ontario | 5.1 | 3.1 short |
| Milwaukee Wisconsin | 5.1 | 3.1 short |
| Bangor Maine | 5.2 | 3.2 short |
| Launceston Tasmania | 5.2 | 3.2 short |
| Belfast Northern Ireland | 5.3 | 3.3 short |
| Detroit Michigan | 5.3 | 3.3 short |
| Chicago Illinois | 5.4 | 3.4 short |
| Portland Oregon | 5.5 | 3.5 short |
| Cleveland Ohio | 5.5 | 3.5 short |
| Boise Idaho | 5.6 | 3.6 short |
| Columbus Ohio | 5.8 | 3.8 short |
| New York New York | 5.9 | 3.9 short |
| Melbourne Victoria | 6.0 | 4.0 short |
| Denver Colorado | 6.1 | 4.1 short |
| London England | 6.2 | 4.2 short |
| Adelaide South Australia | 6.6 | 4.6 short |
| Sydney New South Wales | 7.1 | 5.1 short |
| Perth Western Australia | 7.1 | 5.1 short |
| Los Angeles California | 7.9 | 5.9 short |
| Brisbane Queensland | 8.8 | 6.8 short |
Kp explained
Kp runs from 0 to 9 in thirds (5-, 5, 5+). Each step roughly moves the southern edge of the aurora oval two to three degrees of geomagnetic latitude toward the equator. That is why the same night can be routine in Fairbanks and a once-a-year event in Chicago.
Kp is a three-hour average, so it lags what you see. Short bursts (substorms) can light up the sky for 20 minutes while the official Kp stays modest. For the next hour, the solar wind's Bz and the live aurora map say more; for tonight and the next three days, Kp is the best single number.
Your threshold depends on geomagnetic latitude, not geographic latitude: the magnetic pole sits over northern Canada, so North America gets the aurora further south than Europe at the same Kp. How the site sets each city's threshold is on the methodology page.
Kp index FAQ
What is the Kp index?
What Kp do I need to see the aurora?
What does Kp 5 mean?
Why is the "kp index" different on other sites?
Get an alert when Kp reaches your city
The app knows your threshold and watches the forecast for you.
Learn more about the northern lights
How to See the Northern Lights: A Beginner's Guide
Three conditions decide whether you see the northern lights: activity at your latitude, a clear sky and darkness. Here is how to check each one.
Aurora Colors and What They Mean
Green, red, blue, purple and pink aurora explained: which gas makes each color, how high it glows, and why your camera shows more than your eyes.
Northern Lights in Canada: Best Places
The best places to see the northern lights in Canada: Yellowknife, Whitehorse, Churchill, Jasper and the prairies, plus what Ontario and Quebec get.
Northern Lights in Scotland
Where to see the northern lights in Scotland: north coast, islands, Cairngorms and dark sky parks, when the sky is dark enough, and how to beat cloud.
Northern Lights in Norway
Where to see the northern lights in Norway, which months work, why the coast and inland need different plans, and what Oslo gets in a storm.
Aurora Australis Forecast Guide
How to read a forecast for the southern lights: Kp, Bz, the southern oval, darkness, moon and cloud, plus where to look in Tasmania and southern Australia.
Kp index today
Live Kp, the 3-day and 27-day forecast, and what Kp each city needs.
Geomagnetic storm today
G-scale now, the storm outlook and how far south the aurora reaches.