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Tonight's aurora verdict — Hobart
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Live Kp index and 24-hour forecast
Current planetary Kp
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Tonight's cloud cover — Hobart
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Cloud cover forecast unavailable.
Solar wind right now
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Nearest dark-sky viewing spot
South Arm Peninsula
35 min south from Hobart
Wide southern ocean horizon 30 min south of Hobart — Tasmania's most accessible aurora lookout.
See all Tasmania viewing spotsHobart is Australia's premier Aurora Australis city. At 43°S, the Tasmanian capital sits closer to the Antarctic auroral oval than any other Australian capital, and the South Arm Peninsula, Tinderbox and Goat Bluff are all under 45 minutes' drive from the CBD. Hobart sees photographable aurora glow several times per month during the autumn and spring equinoxes — a planetary Kp of 4 is usually enough for a camera-detectable display, and Kp 5 brings clearly visible green and red bands to the southern horizon. This page shows tonight's live Kp, the 24-hour outlook and the cloud cover forecast for Hobart so you can decide in one glance whether the drive south is worth it tonight.
Kp index — what it means in Australia
The planetary Kp index runs 0–9. Higher Kp pushes the aurora further from the magnetic pole, making it visible from lower latitudes.
Kp 0–3 — Quiet
No aurora visible from mainland Australia. Possible faint glow at extreme southern Tasmania.
Kp 4 — Unsettled
Camera-only horizon glow possible from southern Tasmania.
Kp 5 (G1) — Minor storm
Visible aurora across Tasmania. Faint glow on horizon from Victoria, South Australia and far-south WA.
Kp 6 (G2) — Moderate storm
Bright aurora overhead in Tasmania. Clearly visible from VIC, SA and southern WA coasts.
Kp 7 (G3) — Strong storm
Vivid colour visible from VIC/SA/WA. Reaches as far north as Sydney and Perth.
Kp 8 (G4) — Severe storm
Aurora visible from NSW, WA and southern QLD. Once-a-year event.
Kp 9 (G5) — Extreme storm
Aurora visible from the entire continent including Brisbane and Darwin. Once-a-decade event.
Related forecasts & resources
Aurora Hobart — Frequently asked questions
Live Kp, OVATION map and storm alerts from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. Australian context from the Bureau of Meteorology Space Weather Services. Cloud cover forecast from Open-Meteo.
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