Aurora Watch

Barrie, Ontario · 44.39°N, 79.69°W · geomagnetic lat ≈ 54°N
Live solar wind from DSCOVR at L1 · loading…

Tonight's Aurora Chance

Calculating…

Pulling live data from NOAA SWPC…

Best window tonight: 11pm–3am (peak near magnetic midnight, ~1am).

Bz · IMF North/South

—nT

good ≤ −5 · −10+ optimum (southward)

the key driver

Bt · Total Field

—nT

good ≥ 10 · 15+ optimum

how much energy is available

Speed

—km/s

good ≥ 500 · 600+ optimum

solar wind velocity

Density

—p/cm³

good ≥ 8 · 15+ optimum

richer colour when high

Bz & Speed — last 6 hours

L1 → Earth Lead Time

—

What DSCOVR is reading now reaches Earth's magnetosphere after this delay. That is your real-time warning window.

Viewing guide for Barrie (Kp):
Kp 4 — faint glow low on the N horizon
Kp 5 (G1) — visible, photographs well
Kp 6–7 (G2–G3) — good show, naked eye
Kp 8–9 (G4–G5) — overhead, rare & strong

Aurora Burst Detector · is the sky flaring right now?

Checking the satellite…

A sudden jump on the chart below means the aurora is flaring right now.

Think of Earth's magnetic field as a rubber band. A satellite watches it stretch (the line slowly sags — energy loading) then snap back (a sharp jump up). That snap is what makes the aurora suddenly flare — the brightest, most active lights, usually within 5–20 min. Flat line = calm.

See It Live · Webcams & Reports · most reliable

Data predicts; eyes confirm. When the numbers look good, check what people and cameras are actually seeing right now:

Aurorasaurus →

Live crowd-sourced sightings map — see how far south it's been spotted.

NOAA Aurora Map →

Live 30-minute OVATION forecast — see the oval and how far south it reaches.

AE Index · Auroral Electrojet · Kyoto WDC · the aurora's own fingerprint

The most direct live read of the aurora itself. Ground stations sitting right under the auroral oval measure how hard the lights are pushing overhead — so unlike Kp (which is global and lags ~3 hrs), this reacts in real time. How to read it: a flat line = quiet skies. When the trace jumps and holds at 500–1000+ nT, the aurora is actively firing over the north — your live cue that a show is on. The higher and longer the spike, the stronger it is.

loading live plot…

Planetary Kp — observed & forecast · local time · context only, lags ~3 hrs

quiet (0–3) active (4) storm (5–6) strong (7+) faded bars = forecast ┊ now

NOAA Forecast Discussion

loading…

Sky Conditions · Moon & Viewing Spots

Moon & Darkness

🌑

—

Sun & Moon Times · local

Sunset

—

🌇

Sunrise

—

🌅

Moonrise

—

🌙

Moonset

—

🌘

Cloud & weather below: Environment Canada's GEM model (HRDPS→RDPS→GDPS), read at each viewing spot's exact coordinates — a short-range forecast, not a live station reading, so it can differ from the nearest airport. Always cross-check the live Zoom Earth satellite map before driving out.

Light Pollution & Cloud Maps · pick a dark, clear spot

Zoom Earth — live cloud map →

Real-time satellite cloud cover. Pan around Barrie to find breaks in the cloud and drive toward the clearest northern sky.

Light Pollution Map →

How dark the sky is by location. The darker zones north of Barrie — Torrance Barrens, Tiny Marsh — are your lowest-glow viewing sites.