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Tonight's Aurora Australis verdict
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Live Kp index and forecast
Current planetary Kp
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Solar wind right now
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Aurora visibility by state & territory
Tonight's verdict for each state, based on the NOAA 24-hour peak Kp forecast.
Tasmania's top viewing locations tonight
Tasmania gives Australia's most reliable aurora viewing. These three sites combine dark Bortle 1–3 skies with a clear southern ocean horizon and an easy drive from Hobart.
South Arm Peninsula
Hobart — 35 min
Wide southern ocean horizon 30 min south of Hobart — Tasmania's most accessible aurora lookout.
Tinderbox Lookout
Hobart — 30 min
Elevated coastal cliffs facing south-west across the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. Minimal light pollution.
Goat Bluff (South Arm)
Hobart — 40 min
Cliff-top vantage with uninterrupted Southern Ocean view — classic Hobart aurora photography spot.
The Aurora Australis — the Southern Lights — is visible from southern Australia whenever the Earth's magnetic field is disturbed by solar wind. Tasmania sees aurora dozens of times each year; Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia see major displays a few times a year; NSW, ACT and southern Queensland see it during severe geomagnetic storms. This page combines the live NOAA planetary Kp index, the 24-hour forecast and the OVATION aurora map so you can decide tonight whether it is worth heading to a dark-sky site.
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.
New to aurora chasing?
Our full Aurora Australis viewing guide covers Kp thresholds for every state, the best months of the year, camera and phone settings, and how to read the NOAA forecast in under 5 minutes.
Read the Aurora Australis viewing guide →Aurora Australis — Frequently asked questions
Live Kp, OVATION map, solar wind and storm alerts from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. Australian context from the Bureau of Meteorology Space Weather Services.
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