Live space weather
What are the Kp index and the solar wind doing now?
As of 6 October 2026, 03:46 UTC, the latest planetary Kp index in NOAA's data is Kp 3, for the three-hour period tagged 00:00 UTC on 6 October 2026. The solar wind measured by SOLAR1 was 517 km/s at 03:40 UTC, with Bz -2.1 nT (pointing south).
- Kp 3Latest planetary Kp, tagged 00:00 UTC
- Kp 5.67Highest in the last 48 hours
- 3Three-hour periods at Kp 5 or more
- 517 km/sSolar wind speed, latest
See also: our guide to reading this data; live pages: satellite count, earthquakes today, asteroid close approaches, tropical storms now, fire detections today, all live numbers right now.
The Kp index over the last 48 hours
NOAA gives one planetary Kp value for each three-hour period, from 0 to 9; the chart shows the 16 periods our collector keeps, each labelled with its time tag in UTC. NOAA's storm scale starts at G1 (minor) at Kp 5; 3 of these periods reached it. NOAA's full G1 to G5 table is in our aurora guide.
| Period tagged (UTC) | Kp |
|---|---|
| 4 Oct, 03:00 | 3.33 |
| 4 Oct, 06:00 | 4.33 |
| 4 Oct, 09:00 | 5 |
| 4 Oct, 12:00 | 4.67 |
| 4 Oct, 15:00 | 4.33 |
| 4 Oct, 18:00 | 5.67 |
| 4 Oct, 21:00 | 4.67 |
| 5 Oct, 00:00 | 4 |
| 5 Oct, 03:00 | 5.33 |
| 5 Oct, 06:00 | 2.33 |
| 5 Oct, 09:00 | 3.33 |
| 5 Oct, 12:00 | 2.67 |
| 5 Oct, 15:00 | 3.67 |
| 5 Oct, 18:00 | 3.67 |
| 5 Oct, 21:00 | 4 |
| 6 Oct, 00:00 | 3 |
Solar wind now
The values are five-minute averages that our collector makes from NOAA's one-minute data, using only the rows NOAA marks as from its active spacecraft (SOLAR1). The range is over the data our collector keeps, from to .
| Measure | Latest | At (UTC) | Range in the data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar wind speed | 517 km/s | 6 Oct, 03:40 | 510 to 565 km/s |
| Proton density | 3.5 per cm³ | 6 Oct, 03:40 | 2.4 to 4.2 per cm³ |
| Total field Bt | 4.8 nT | 6 Oct, 03:45 | 4.5 to 4.9 nT |
| North-south field Bz | -2.1 nT | 6 Oct, 03:45 | -4.2 to 1.9 nT |
A negative Bz means the field points south. NOAA's aurora tutorial says that as the solar wind increases in speed and the interplanetary magnetic field turns southward, geomagnetic activity increases and the aurora becomes brighter, more active, and moves further from the poles. In this data the latest Bz is negative, and the lowest in the range is -4.2 nT.
NOAA's aurora forecast grid
NOAA's aurora forecast grid (the OVATION model, which NOAA describes as a 30 to 90 minute forecast) for , from observations at . It holds a value from 0 to 100 for each degree of latitude and longitude. NOAA says an estimate of aurora viewing probability can be derived by assuming a linear relationship to this value; we show the values as NOAA gives them and do not call them a probability. The threshold of 10 is our choice.
| Hemisphere | Highest grid value | Nearest the equator with a value of 10 or more |
|---|---|---|
| Northern hemisphere | 26 | 51° N |
| Southern hemisphere | 26 | 60° S |
The map marks, for each degree of longitude in each hemisphere, the grid point nearest the equator where the value is 10 or more.
NOAA geomagnetic messages
NOAA issued 16 geomagnetic messages in the 72 hours our collector keeps. 4 were warnings that a later extension replaced, and are left out. The latest 10 of the other 12 are shown, newest first, in NOAA's own words.
| Issued (UTC) | Kind | NOAA's headline |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct, 03:43 | Warning | EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected |
| 5 Oct, 03:52 | Alert | ALERT: Geomagnetic K-index of 5 |
| 5 Oct, 03:50 | Warning | WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 5 expected |
| 4 Oct, 23:57 | Alert | ALERT: Geomagnetic K-index of 5 |
| 4 Oct, 20:58 | Alert | ALERT: Geomagnetic K-index of 6 |
| 4 Oct, 19:01 | Warning | EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected |
| 4 Oct, 18:50 | Warning | EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 5 expected |
| 4 Oct, 18:47 | Warning | WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 6 expected |
| 4 Oct, 18:40 | Alert | ALERT: Geomagnetic K-index of 5 |
| 4 Oct, 14:03 | Alert | ALERT: Geomagnetic K-index of 5 |
What it means for where you are
This page does not turn Kp into a latitude. NOAA's scales page lists, for each G level, where aurora has been seen, and gives typical latitudes in geomagnetic latitude, which is measured from the magnetic pole and is not the same as a place's ordinary latitude. NOAA's aurora tutorial also says that when the Kp index is high, between 7 and 9, the aurora will be bright and the auroral oval will move to lower latitudes. Your cloud cover and how dark your sky is also decide what you can see.
How this page is made
- Kp: NOAA's planetary K index file, read by our collector every 30 minutes. We say "tagged" because the time is the label NOAA gives the period.
- Solar wind: NOAA's real-time solar wind and magnetic field files (Bz in the GSM system, the field NOAA's tutorial is normally read in; which system the tutorial means is not confirmed), read every 10 minutes.
- The aurora grid: NOAA's OVATION forecast file, read every 15 minutes.
- The page is published only when the Kp data is less than 8 hours old. The solar wind is shown only when it is less than 6 hours old, and the grid only when it is less than 6 hours old.
Questions
What is the Kp index right now?
The latest value in NOAA's data is Kp 3, for the three-hour period tagged 00:00 UTC on 6 October 2026.
Did Kp reach 5 in the last 48 hours?
Yes, in 3 of the 16 periods with a value; the highest was Kp 5.67, tagged 4 Oct, 18:00 UTC. NOAA's G1 level starts at Kp 5.
Which way is the solar wind's magnetic field pointing?
Its latest Bz value is -2.1 nT, at 6 Oct, 03:45 UTC: negative, so pointing south.
Does this page forecast aurora for my town?
No. It shows NOAA's own numbers and NOAA's own short forecast grid, with their times, and makes no forecast of its own.
Sources
- NOAA SWPC data access. Where the Kp and solar wind files are listed
- NOAA SWPC aurora 30 minute forecast. The forecast grid (OVATION)
- NOAA Space Weather Scales. The G1 to G5 table, with where aurora has been seen
- NOAA SWPC aurora tutorial. How the solar wind and the Kp index relate to aurora
- NWS disclaimer and public domain statement. The terms for using NOAA and NWS information