Hourly STD DMSP/POLAR Auroral Activity Report
(Auto-updated every 10 minutes)
For older archived images, click here.
For a Belorussian Translation of this page, click here.
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Ground-based sightings of auroral activity are provided
on the following map and are valid at the times given at the top-right of the
plot below. All stations reporting activity during the last 72 hours are plotted
as white dots.
Click on the image itself to view the actual sightings
reported by individuals around the world.
The image above is the most recent VIS image of the northern
polar auroral oval, taken by the POLAR spacecraft.
The image above is the most recent ultraviolet image
of the northern polar auroral oval, taken by the POLAR spacecraft. Lines of
latitude and longitude are denoted by the dashed blue lines. Contintental
outlines are also shown in green.
The image above is the most recent estimated shape and
character of the northern polar auroral oval, as derived from recent
measurements of energy deposition into the auroral oval by the NOAA/TIROS
spacecraft and as statistically derived and provided courtesy of the
Space Environment Center.
The color bar at the right denotes the estimated power flux input
into the auroral zone, in ergs*cm^-2*sec^-1. The yellow arrow points in the
direction of the noon sector, where sunlight would prevent observations
of auroral activity.
The image above is the most recent estimated shape and
character of the southern polar auroral oval, as derived from recent
measurements of energy deposition into the auroral oval by the NOAA/TIROS
spacecraft and as statistically derived and provided courtesy of the
Space Environment Center.
The color bar at the right denotes the estimated power flux input
into the auroral zone, in ergs*cm^-2*sec^-1. The yellow arrow points in the
direction of the noon sector, where sunlight would prevent observations
of auroral activity.
This plot estimates the VISIBILITY of auroral activity from any location
in the northern hemisphere, assuming a dark moonless sky and low light
pollution. It is updated every 5 minutes with the latest solar wind data.
The model computes the estimated brightness of auroral activity and plots
this on the map as a solid bright color that varies from green (NIL to low
levels of auroral activity) to brown/orange (low to moderate levels of
activity) to red (moderate to high levels of activity). The brighter the
red, the more intense the activity. Those areas which may be able to spot
activity are most often within the zone of fading color on the outskirts of
the plotted auroral oval. The extent of the fading color zone on the
outskirts of the oval is based on the estimated height and intensity of
auroral luminosity.
Use this chart to quickly determine whether auroral activity might be
visible from your location and what intensity the activity might be.
The image is created using a model that computes the potential auroral
luminosity from current solar wind conditions. It has been verified for
accuracy using historic POLAR spacecraft data. Although the model works very
well and should provide visual observers with a good estimate of the
visibility of auroral activity, it is not perfect and may occasionally under
or overestimate the visibility of activity from some regions. This is due
to the unpredictable nature of auroral substorm activity.
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