G2 Watch for 9 October, Kp 6 Aurora Peak
NOAA SWPC has a G2 watch active for 9 October 2026. The largest Kp over the next three days is 6, peaking in the 18-21 UTC slot.
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Storms: northern lights blog
Short posts about the aurora, each written from a dated source: a NOAA SWPC watch or warning, the 27-day outlook, or a question people search for. Every post names its data and the time it was read.
Updated on 9 Oct 20262 Sources
Frequently asked questions
How often does the northern lights blog publish?
Two posts a week as a rule, on Tuesday and Friday. A NOAA storm watch or warning can bring a post forward, so an active storm is covered on the day it is issued.
Where do the numbers in the northern lights posts come from?
From NOAA SWPC: the planetary Kp index, the 3-day Kp forecast, the 27-day outlook and the alerts feed. Each post lists the products it used and the time they were fetched.
Are the northern lights posts written by a person or by software?
They are drafted by software from the NOAA data and checked in code before publication: no first person and no filler words, every figure anchored in the data block, every FAQ question naming the aurora, no forecast beyond the NOAA horizon, and a second model that rejects anything the data does not support. A post that fails stays unpublished.
Can a northern lights post predict a specific night weeks ahead?
No. NOAA forecasts Kp three days ahead in 3-hour slots and gives a daily maximum for 27 days. The posts never go beyond that horizon, and the 27-day figures are labelled as an outlook.
Do the northern lights posts tell me where the aurora is visible?
A storm post lists the destinations from this site where the forecast Kp reaches the level each place needs, using geomagnetic latitude. It is a reach estimate, not a sighting report.
Why do some northern lights posts link to tours?
When a post names a destination that has guided aurora tours in the catalogue, up to three cards appear below the text. The links go to the booking site and are marked as sponsored.
Written and maintained by the Kp Forecast editorial team. Independent site, not a space weather agency. Data: NOAA SWPC.
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