Space weather — October 20, 2026
As of Oct 20, 15:11 UTC · NOAA SWPC
Earth's magnetic field and solar activity from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center measurements. The server refreshes the figures every 10 minutes.
The Kp index is 2.00 (quiet). Aurora can be expected above about 62.3° geomagnetic latitude.
The solar wind is blowing at 376 km/s and solar X-rays are at B5.7; the largest flare in the past 24 hours was C2.8.
NOAA's 3-day forecast peaks at Kp 4.67. No major storm is forecast.
Right now
Kp index
2.00
quiet
Solar wind
376km/s
X-ray class
B5.7
24h max C2.8
NOAA scales G·S·R
G0 · S0 · R0
3-day max Kp
4.67
Fairbanks
16%
Tromsø
24%
Yellowknife
16%
Hokkaido
0%
Min Mag Lat ≥ 62.3°·Korea (33–38°N) only sees aurora during Kp 8–9 extreme storms
NOAA SWPC OVATIONjust now
Recent Flare
C2.8
13:56 UTC
X-ray
B5.7
NOAA SWPC GOES-19 SUVI1 min ago
| UT | Oct 20 | Oct 21 | Oct 22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00-03UT | 1.00 | 3.33 | 2.67 |
| 03-06UT | 1.00 | 3.67 | 2.67 |
| 06-09UT | 1.00 | 3.00 | 2.67 |
| 09-12UT | 2.00 | 2.67 | 2.33 |
| 12-15UT | 3.33 | 2.33 | 2.67 |
| 15-18UT | 3.33 | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| 18-21UT | 4.00 | 3.33 | 2.00 |
| 21-00UT | 4.67G1 | 3.00 | 2.67 |
Show NOAA Rationale (EN)
Geomagnetic — G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storming is likely 20 Oct due to positive polarity coronal hole high speed stream effects.
Solar radiation — No S1 (Minor) or greater solar radiation storms are expected through 22 Oct.
Radio blackout — There is a chance for R1-R2 (Minor-Moderate) radio blackouts through 22 Oct.
Source: NOAA SWPC (adapted from SWPC)9 min ago
How to read the Kp index
| Kp | Condition | Aurora visible down to (geomagnetic latitude, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 | Quiet | about 62–67° — Arctic fringe |
| 3–4 | Unsettled to active | about 57–60° |
| 5 | G1 minor storm | about 55° |
| 6 | G2 moderate | about 52° |
| 7 | G3 strong | about 49° |
| 8–9 | G4–G5 severe to extreme | about 44–47° |
Can you see the aurora from Korea?
Korea lies at 33–38° geographic latitude and even lower geomagnetic latitude, so the aurora is normally out of reach. Only during extreme Kp 8–9 storms might a red glow near the northern horizon show up in long-exposure photos. On the map above, the best chances are in Alaska, northern Europe and northern Canada.
Solar flare classes
Flares are graded A, B, C, M and X by the X-ray flux measured by GOES satellites; each step is ten times stronger. M-class and above can briefly black out shortwave radio on the day side (R1–R2). X-class flares bring strong radio blackouts (R3+), and if a coronal mass ejection follows, a geomagnetic storm can arrive one to three days later.
Continue
Method and sources
Kp, NOAA scales, solar wind and X-rays come from NOAA SWPC public data (10-minute cache); aurora probability from the OVATION 30-minute forecast (5-minute cache); the 3-day and 27-day outlooks and alerts are adapted from SWPC text products. The aurora latitude is estimated from an empirical relation with Kp (about 2.6° lower per Kp step). Missing data is shown as “no data”, never invented.