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Tonight's aurora verdict — Melbourne
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Live Kp index and 24-hour forecast
Current planetary Kp
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Tonight's cloud cover — Melbourne
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Cloud cover forecast unavailable.
Solar wind right now
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Nearest dark-sky viewing spot
Cape Schanck
1 h 30 min south from Melbourne
Mornington Peninsula south-facing cliffs. Bortle 4 sky, easy to reach.
See all Victoria viewing spotsMelbourne sees Aurora Australis several times a year during moderate to strong geomagnetic storms. From the city, a planetary Kp of about 6 brings clearly visible aurora and Kp 5 captures green and red bands on camera from the Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island and the Great Ocean Road. Cape Schanck and Aireys Inlet are the closest dark-sky south-facing lookouts and both sit within 90 minutes of the CBD. The 2024–2026 solar maximum produced G5 storms that lit up Melbourne suburbs themselves in May and October 2024. This page shows tonight's planetary Kp, the 24-hour forecast and Melbourne's cloud cover so you can decide whether to head down the bay 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 Melbourne — 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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