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Tonight's aurora verdict — Northern Territory
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Live Kp index and 24-hour forecast
Current planetary Kp
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Solar wind right now
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The Northern Territory sits in tropical latitudes well north of the auroral oval, so the Aurora Australis is essentially never visible from Darwin. Even during the May 2024 G5 superstorm — the strongest in twenty years — only the southern fringe of the Territory near Alice Springs registered any aurora at all. For the small possibility of a visible glow from Central Australia, a planetary Kp of 9 (extreme G5) is required, an event that happens a handful of times per solar cycle. The MacDonnell Ranges south of Alice Springs and Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park offer Australia's darkest Bortle 1 night skies, which make the NT one of the best southern hemisphere locations for general astrophotography, even on nights when aurora itself is not in play. This page shows tonight's planetary Kp so you know if a once-a-cycle event is unfolding.
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 Northern Territory — 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.
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