Receive AuroraWatch UK status alerts to notify you of potential aurora sighting opportunities.
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is a breathtaking natural light display that can sometimes be witnessed in the UK's night sky. It's an unforgettable experience. Aurora Watch UK helps you track geomagnetic activity and alerts you when the aurora might be visible from the UK.
Get notifications for heightened geomagnetic activity—these are sent when the AuroraWatch status level changes, indicating a greater chance of seeing the aurora from the UK.
Check the current alert status - see Notes.
View the activity history from the last 24 hours.
30-minute forecast model from SWPC.
For any problems, please email [email protected].
PLEASE NOTE:
Aurora Watch is NOT a forecasting app.
Phone settings like Battery Saver that restrict push notifications can reduce or eliminate the window for receiving aurora alerts.
If you're not getting alerts, check your phone's Settings/Notifications/App settings to ensure notifications for Aurora Watch UK are enabled.
The app does not send alerts for past events. If your phone is off or has no internet when the status rises, and it falls again before the next data update, you will not receive an alert.
A necessary delay is built in before alerts are sent, as the data needs to 'settle down', following Lancaster University's recommendation.
Alerts from Lancaster University typically rely on their Lancaster magnetometer, though they have others, including one in Shetland. Naturally, aurora sightings are more likely in Shetland, but since that data isn't usually used for alerts, the notifications can be slightly more 'pessimistic'. This is suitable for England but less so for those further north.
The Aurora Watch UK (Android) app is developed and maintained by Smallbouldering Projects and is not an 'Official' app.
Alert data is provided by Lancaster University, UK, using information from the SAMNET and/or AuroraWatchNet magnetometer networks. Learn more here:
http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/introduction
What's New in the Latest Version 1.97
Last updated on Oct 20, 2024
Added some abbreviations to the About section.
Added Bristol and Portsmouth to location lists.
Introduced a new optional Alert Notification called "Triggered by value." This means if there's a red alert and the status value (nT) increases further, you can receive another notification.
