Even when I was in Iceland, the highest KP I experienced was 3. If you are planning a trip to see the aurora hopefully this data will help you decide when to go and have the highest success rate. The UV index measures the amount of damaging ultraviolet solar radiation expected to reach the Earth's surface when the sun is highest in the sky, generally between the midday hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. the site of the highest UV index ever recorded. Highest ever in state history. This relationship holds true in geomagnetic latitude, not geographic. The Kp number is a system to measure aurora's strength. The years of lowest geomagnetic activity almost always occur 1 year after solar minimum. For Kp in the range 0 to 2, the aurora will be far north, quite dim in intensity, and not very active. Cabrol said the team wanted to verify their observations with a return visit, to retrieve more monitoring data from Licancabur, but political instability in Bolivia prevented another trip. The solar plasma is so hot that it breaks free of the sun's gravitational force and blows away from the surface in all directions. Every G-level has a certain Kp-value associated with it. Never mind the stupid imaginary KP index risk. Solar activity is increasing faster than official forecasts had predicted, data appears to show, and experts predict a stronger solar cycle than in previous years. The global Kp-index is then determined with an algorithm that puts the reported K-values of every station together. You are welcome to use these diagrams for non commercial purposes. It is important, however, to remember that the Northern Lights appears most frequently at high latitudes. The table below shows the values that both the finalized Kp-index and the Wing Kp-index work with. For a nice research paper demonstrating the effect of solar activity on GPS, read. For centuries it has been known that the sun follows a regular pattern of high and low solar activity. Weather. On Dec. 29, 2003, a world-record UV index of 43.3 was detected at Bolivia's Licancabur volcano. Climatologists study records of Earths weather to calculate averages and find trends and patterns.I wanted to do the same with space weather to find out how geomagnetic activity varies by year, month, and day. Always take a Kp-index forecast with a pinch of salt. Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The Kp index measures geomagnetic disruption caused by solar activity, on a scale from 0 (calm) to 9 (major storm). There are several reasons why. The chart JSON is available at: Observed Planetary K Index (3 hour intervals). 2k. The Estimated 3-hour Planetary Kp-index is a preliminary Kp-index derived at the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center using minute by minute data from a number of ground-based magnetometers that relay data in near-real time. On June 21st, there is only a 12% chance. One major factor is your latitude: ionospheric disturbances are worse at high and equatorial latitudes, and less noticeable at mid latitudes. (AKM). Looking at the planetary K-index on www.spaceweather.com and it says we have a Kp value of 5 right now. There is an approximate relationship between Kp and theequatorwardextent of the auroral oval. However, such storms are very rare indeed (approx. http://www.theusner.eu/terra/aurora/kp.php. In the United States, the highest dew point ever recorded, 90F (32C), was recorded at the New Orleans Naval Air Station, on July 30, 1987, Melbourne, Florida . This includes but is not limited to: a clear sight towards the northern or southern horizon, no clouds, no light pollution and complete darkness. Solar minimum in 2008 was the quietest since 1823 (the. The Kp-index is the global geomagnetic activity index that is based on 3-hour measurements from ground-based magnetometers around the world. This seasonal variation matches my personal experience as well while aurora hunting. So I imported this 88 years worth of data into a spreadsheet to analyze it, and break it down into graphs and charts. At Kp = 0, the equator ward edge of the auroral oval is approximately 66 degrees. 325 Broadway, Boulder CO 80305, 27-Day Outlook of 10.7 cm Radio Flux and Geomagnetic Indices, Report and Forecast of Solar and Geophysical Activity, Geoalert - Alerts, Analysis and Forecast Codes, Geospace Ground Magnetic Perturbation Maps, North American (US Region) Total Electron Content, Geoelectric Field 1-Minute (Empirical EMTF - 3D Model), STORM Time Empirical Ionospheric Correction, Aurora Viewline for Tonight and Tomorrow Night, Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), Dive Deeper Into the Science of the Aurora. The effects also vary; sometimes everything will be fine, while at other times you'll lose lock completely for a few seconds or even a minute, or appear to have a lock but the position will actually be wrong by hundreds of feet. Follow us @livescience, Facebook& Google+. 02-23-2014, 05:29 AM sulkiercupid : Location: Perth, Western Australia. On this page you will find an overview of the strongest geomagnetic storms since January 1994 together with links to more information in our archive. On this day, exactly 10 years ago, the largest ever recorded solar flare in history erupted from Sun's western limb. Since ive only started with the Spaceweather Observing (2019) a Kp of 7 was the highest i watched. . Your email address will not be published. The result is averaged together with those of the other observatories to produce an index that tells scientists how disturbed the Earth's magnetic field is on a 9-point scale. KP is just an indicator, but in most situations: KP 1 to 3: Auroras are usually quiet and faint. Sometimes changes in the suns activity can cause big changes in Kp. 10 days at or above . If you are in the right place, these aurora can be quite pleasing to look at. Kp of 3: aurora could be expected south to the BLUE line. The smaller the index (1-2) the more quiet it is. Any location on the high latitudes will be able to see auroras with a Kp of 4. And even there it would have been difficult to see. Ionizing radiation from the flare hit Earth's atmosphere soon after the explosion and caused a severe radio blackout. The global record temperature is, of course, also the record high for the continent of North America. 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Summers are hot and humid with temperatures in the low 30's and during dry spells the maximum temperatures often exceed 40 C (104 F) during May and June. The Kp index ranges from 0 to 9. This chart updates every minute. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For instance a strong geomagnetic storm of Kp7 or above is almost 4x more likely to occur in April compared to December. The best Seasons for aurora watching are around the spring and fall equinoxes. And it movesequatorwardabout 2 degrees for each level of Kp. It appears that the scale goes all the way to 9. When dawn broke Sunday in Death Valley, Calif., the low temperature was a sweltering 107.7 degrees, the highest ever recorded in North America. Alaska Daylight Savings + 8 hours = UT. What is the highest Kp-index ever recorded? and NOAA NCEI (AA-index converted to Kpa from 1868-1931), Sunspot numbers from WDC-SILSO, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels, A plot of the current Kp-index is located here: One of the best aurora displays Ive ever seen happened to occur on one of the least active days historically. Below are maps showing the most southern extent of where aurora might be observable for different levels of the geomagnetic Kp index (and the NOAA G scale). Labroides Captain Flight distance : 9991457 ft + Add Friend Person Message. It's a serious business. On July 9, 2021, California's Death Valley reached 130 degrees Fahrenheit, according to an automated measuring system there, representing one of the highest temperatures ever recorded on the planet.The world record, also recorded at Death Valley, was 134 degrees in July 1913. Consider a donation if you enjoy SpaceWeatherLive so we can keep the website online! First, the Kp index is determined using measurements of geomagnetic fluctuation while the solar wind power is determined using measurements of solar wind speed, magnetic field direction and strength. A radiation detector left on the 19,423-foot-tall (5,920 meters) peak picked up the extreme spike in UV-B radiation during the Southern Hemisphere summer. Susan Cobb/NOAA. A "perfect storm" of ozone-destroying chemicals sent cancer-causing UV-B radiation soaring at the top of a South American volcano in 2003, a new study reports. What can I text my friend to make her smile? A UV index of 43 is more similar to surface radiation on Mars than typical conditions on Earth, and the reading is well above the mid-20s routinely measured in the high Andes, said lead study author Nathalie Cabrol, a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California. Visit theKp Index Explainedpage to learn how it relates to seeing the aurora. Last summer (2010), Newton, Iowa recorded an 88 dew point on . Take a look at this scale to size up your chances of seeing the Northern Lights: It should rise rom this year, 2020, on. It . This is because Kp1, Kp2 and, to a lesser extent, Kp3 are by far the most common levels of geomagnetic activity. Values of 7 or higher indicate a severe geomagnetic storm.). The British Geological Survey (BGS) has been keeping records of geomagnetic activity since 1932. Important magnetometer observations are also contributed by the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris and the Korean Space Weather Center K-index Watches are issued when the highest predicted NOAA estimated Kp-indices for a day are K = 5, 6, 7, or >= 8 and is reported in terms of the NOAA G scale. kevin@seetheaurora.com Scientists are constantly tracking the suns behavior over time, since it is the source of space weather that can potentially cause massive disruption. The average equatorward boundary of the midnight aurora is shown for levels of magnetic activity ranging from relatively low, Kp=3, to very high, Kp=9. Answer: Mideast Hit With 165F Heat, 'Highest Ever Recorded' Scorching heat has put temperatures as high as 165 degrees in the Middle East, as a "heat dome" passes its way through the region. On July 9, 2021, California's Death Valley reached 130 degrees Fahrenheit, according to an automated measuring system there, representing one of the highest temperatures ever recorded on the planet.The world record, also recorded at Death Valley, was 134 degrees in July 1913. Solar activity is increasing faster than official forecasts had predicted, data appears to show, and experts predict a stronger solar cycle than in previous years. February of 1982 had an average daily Kp index of 5.79. The year-to-year variability which oscillates in response to solar cycle was analyzed using Fourier technique and the amplitude of . 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