Ryan's Aurora Dashboard Dashboard
My one-stop command center for chasing the northern lights
Amateur aurora chaser near Wakefield, Québec 🇨🇦
Follow the Pros
Tony's real-time aurora/solar activity channel is a MUST! Tony posts when substorms are occurring in real time — this is the one to have open when things start happening.
Follow →Slovenian aurora scientist who really knows his stuff. Shares solar wind analysis, Bz commentary, and forecasts — essential for understanding the science behind the show.
Follow →"The Aurora Guy", based in Alaska. I've learned just about everything I know about aurora tracking from his e-Book — highly recommend.
Follow →Aurora Data Sites
Experimental all-in-one aurora view with the Kp index, oval forecast overlays, and solar wind summary. Best single page for a quick gut-check.
Clean real-time Bz, Bt, solar wind speed, and Kp graphs. The activity alerts feed is especially useful for knowing the moment conditions improve.
High-cadence geomagnetic activity index updated every 30 and 60 minutes. More responsive than hourly Kp — watch for spikes during onset.
Real-time auroral electrojet index. High AE and strongly negative AL indicate intense substorm activity — the precursor to visible displays at lower latitudes.
Research-grade CME propagation model. Shows predicted solar wind conditions out several days — useful for planning chases around incoming coronal mass ejections.
Geosynchronous satellite magnetometer readings. Sudden field deviations (Hp field droops) are a classic real-time signal that a substorm is in progress overhead.
Live solar wind speed, density, and the critical Bz component from the L1 Lagrange point. Sustained southward Bz (< −5 nT) is your green light to grab the camera.
Curated collection of live all-sky and wide-angle webcams from Minnesota, Norway, and other prime spots. See the sky glow before packing up the car.
Crowdsourced aurora sighting reports on a live map. When you see glowing dots appear near Wakefield, it's go-time. Also tweet your own sightings to contribute.