3-day Geomagnetic Indices
Estimated Kp Index (3-hour data)
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Estimated Australian Region Kaus Index (3-hour data)
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Northern Limit of Aurora Visibility
| Kp | Geomagnetic Activity | Northern Limit | Northern Limit Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Unsettled | High Latitudes | Southern Tasmania |
| 4 | Active | High Latitudes | All of Tasmania |
| 5 | Minor Storm | High Latitudes | Coastline of Victoria |
| 6 | Major Storm | High Latitudes | Southwest Coast of Western Australia |
| 7 | Severe Storm | Mid Latitudes | Southern NSW |
| 8 | Severe Storm | Low Latitudes | Southern Queensland |
| 9 | Severe Storm | Equatorial | The Tropics |
Geomagnetic Indices
The K index is a measure of geomagnetic activity for a 3-hour period. The larger the K-index, the greater the chance of seeing an aurora at lower latitudes. The auroral oval prediction tool shows the predicted visibility line for a given K-index and time of day.
Space Weather API
The Space Weather API provides access to near real-time data from the Space Weather Services section of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. This API is under development. We have made it available for testing and to seek feedback.
The API includes the following data relevant to auroras.
- the current K index for the Australian region or for one of the observing sites
- details of any magnetic alert current for the Australian region
- details of any geophysical warning currently active for the Australian region
- details of any aurora notice (alert, watch, outlook) current for the Australian region
Data is available at no charge, though this remains subject to change.
