Aurora Watch (UK)

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is a mesmerizing natural phenomenon that occasionally graces the night skies over Britain. Once you witness this spectacle, it's an experience that stays with you forever. Aurora Watch UK provides a valuable service by monitoring geomagnetic activity, alerting you when there's a possibility of seeing the aurora from the UK.

Stay updated with alerts about increases in geomagnetic activity, which are triggered when the AuroraWatch status level changes. This indicates the relative likelihood of catching a glimpse of the aurora in the UK. You can also check the current alert status—see Notes for more details—and review the recent history of the last 24 hours. Additionally, a 30-minute forecast model from the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is available to help you plan your viewing.

For any issues, please feel free to email [email protected].

PLEASE NOTE:

• Aurora Watch is NOT a forecasting app.
• Phone settings like Battery Saver, which limit push notifications, may narrow or even close the aurora alert window. If you're not receiving alerts, check your phone's Settings/Notifications/App settings to ensure that Notifications for Aurora Watch UK are enabled.
• The app does not send historical alerts. If your phone is off or unable to connect to the internet when the status increases but returns to a lower level before the next data update, you will not receive an alert.
• There is a necessary delay before alerts are sent, as the data needs to 'settle down', as recommended by Lancaster University.
• Alerts provided by Lancaster University typically use data from their Lancaster magnetometer, though they also have other magnetometers, including one in Shetland. While there's a higher chance of seeing the aurora in Shetland, since this data is not usually used, alerts may be more 'pessimistic'. This is suitable for those in 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. Alerts data is provided by Lancaster University, UK, using data from the SAMNET and/or AuroraWatchNet magnetometer networks. You can read more about this 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.
• Included Bristol and Portsmouth as new locations.
• Introduced a new optional Alert Notification "Triggered by value" feature. This means that if there has been a red alert and the status value (nT) increases further, you can receive an additional notification.

Aurora Watch (UK) Screenshots