Aurora Outlook and Prediction for Columbus, Ohio

CME Alert: NOAA has issued a G2 (Moderate) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for today (Kp 6 expected). A CME or fast solar wind stream is expected to reach Earth. Watch for a storm.

Aurora Visibility27Poor

Kp: 3.33 | Bz: -2.91

Prediction25Little to None

Current Conditions: Little to no aurora activity in Columbus. Geomagnetic conditions are quiet. Skies are clear.

Predicted Outlook: Little to no aurora activity expected currently. Geomagnetic conditions are quiet.

Best Viewing Window: 3:56 AM – 6:31 AM EDT (2h 35m)

Bz -2.91 nT Aurora None Dark Night Clear · 4% Prediction 25 · Little to None Waning Gibbous 98% Color Key

Space Weather Now

Kp (now)

3.33

Forecast Kp (today)

5.67

Bz (nT)

-2.91

HPI

9 Minimal

Dst (nT)

-28

Density (p/cc)

21.5

Speed (km/s)

398

Sky / Darkness

Clear Dark Night

Sunspot Number

Timing: Now · Confidence: Moderate

Webcam

No aurora cams nearby. Center on nearest camera (1143 km away).

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3-Day Forecast for Columbus, Ohio

Tonight's forecast peaks at Kp 4.7, short of the roughly Kp 8 the aurora usually needs to be seen from Columbus.

Aug 29

Active

Some activity possible - aurora may be visible at higher latitudes.

Best time to look up: 11:00 PM–2:00 AM EDT

40% chance of elevated activity · Kp 3.67 during viewing window

Aug 30

Quiet

Low chance of aurora - geomagnetic activity is expected to stay quiet.

Best time to look up: 11:00 PM–2:00 AM EDT

10% chance of elevated activity · Kp 2 during viewing window

Aug 31

Forecast Pending

This night's forecast isn't in NOAA's 3-day window yet - check back closer to the date.

This night's forecast isn't available yet - check back closer to the date.

Aurora Oval & Satellite & Sun

Aurora Probability

LowHigh

Aurora Globe

Full-size Aurora Globe

Satellite View

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National Weather Service

Sunspots

Current sunspot number: 92

SOHO

Coronal Mass Ejections

Space Weather Prediction Center

Solar Wind & IMF (GSM)

Bt: 7.1 nT
Bx: 0.1 nT
By: -6.3 nT
Bz: -2.91 nT
Clock Angle θ: -24.5°
Cone Angle φ: 270.8°
Speed: 398 km/s
Density: 21.5 p/cc

Real-time solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field, in geocentric solar magnetospheric (GSM) coordinates - the values the prediction model actually runs on.

IMF Detail (GSE) & Source

Bx: 0.1 nT
By: -4.2 nT
Bz: -5.6 nT
θ Angle: -52.2°
φ Angle: 270.5°
Satellite: SOLAR-1
Data Quality: Good
Reading Time: Aug 29, 3:49 AM EDT

The same magnetic field reading in geocentric solar ecliptic (GSE) coordinates, plus which satellite it came from and how fresh it is.

Geomagnetic Indices

Kp (now): 3.33
Dst: -28 nT
HPI: 9 GW
Sunspot Number: 92

Headline storm-activity indices - Kp (planetary), Dst (ring current), HPI (hemispheric power), and today's sunspot count.

Aurora Model

Ovation Value: 0
Ovation Label: None
Model Data Time: Aug 29, 4:51 AM EDT
Ovation Data: Live

NOAA's OVATION Prime output - how far south the aurora oval is likely to extend right now.

Scores & Ratings

Aurora Visibility: 27 · Poor
Aurora Visibility (w/ Moon): 27 · Poor
Prediction Score: 25 · Little to None

This page's three scores side by side - raw activity, moon/cloud-adjusted visibility, and the forecast.

Sky & Location

Cloud Cover: 4% · Clear
Solar Elevation: -30.6° · Dark Night
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous
Moon Illumination: 98%
Moon Altitude: 41.6° · Up
Latitude: 39.9587
Longitude: -82.9987
Geomagnetic Latitude: 49.1°
Horizon Threshold: Kp 8
Overhead Threshold: Never

Local sky and moon conditions - what actually turns the raw aurora score into a real visibility score for this spot.

Prediction Model Inputs

Bz Persistence (60min): -3.8 nT
Newell Coupling: 6846
Dynamic Pressure: 5.7 nPa
Storm Watch (CME): ~0h · G2 (Moderate)
Watch Predicted Kp: 6

The individual weighted inputs - Bz persistence, coupling, pressure, CME timing - that combine into the Prediction score.

Timing & Confidence

Timing: Now
Confidence: Moderate
L1 Delay: ~3769 min
Best Viewing Window: 3:56 AM – 6:31 AM EDT (2h 35m)

How soon a solar wind change reaches Earth, how confident the model is right now, and today's best window to actually look up.

3-Day Kp Forecast

EDT	Aug 29	Aug 30	Aug 31
8:00 PM–11:00 PM	5.67	2.67	1.67
11:00 PM–2:00 AM	5.67	3.67	2
2:00 AM–5:00 AM	4.67	3.67	1.67
5:00 AM–8:00 AM	4.67	2.67	1.67
8:00 AM–11:00 AM	3.67	1.67	1
11:00 AM–2:00 PM	3.67	1	1
2:00 PM–5:00 PM	2.67	1.67	0.67
5:00 PM–8:00 PM	2.67	2.67	2
Max	5.67	3.67	2
Ap Index	35	12	5

Storm Probability

Level	Aug 29	Aug 30	Aug 31
Active	5%	40%	10%
Minor storm	30%	25%	1%
Moderate storm	40%	10%	1%
Strong-Extreme storm	25%	1%	1%

NOAA SWPC's official 3-day Kp forecast and geomagnetic storm probability - an independent second opinion alongside this page's own real-time model.

Planetary K-index

Aug 26

Aug 27

Aug 28

Now

Aug 29

Aug 30

Aug 31

Quiet (Kp 0-3) Unsettled (Kp 4) Minor-Moderate Storm (Kp 5-6) Strong+ Storm (Kp 7-9) Forecast (hatched)

Interplanetary Magnetic Field Bz-1.8 nT now

Southward (negative) Bz favors aurora. Observed data only, no forecast product exists for Bz.

Total IMF Field Bt7.3 nT now

Total interplanetary magnetic field strength - the ceiling on how negative Bz can go. A rising Bt alongside a still-fluctuating Bz often leads a stronger southward turn. Observed data only, no forecast product exists for Bt.

Storm Trend42 now

Prediction score (0-100) over the last 24 hours, logged every 5 minutes. Red above 70, yellow 50-70, teal below 50 - same thresholds used everywhere else on this page. Dashed line is the overall trend.

Dst History-28 nT now

Kyoto Dst geomagnetic storm index over the last 24 hours. Negative = ring-current energy stored = an active storm, not just predicted. Red below −50nT, yellow −20 to −50nT, teal above −20nT.

Solar Wind Speed & Pressure

Speed: 405 km/s now Pressure: 5.7 nPa now

Each line is scaled independently to its own 24h range (different units) - watch the shape, not a shared axis. A rising speed line or a pressure spike can signal an incoming stream or shock before Bz/Dst move.

24-hour trend charts for the values above, so you can see whether conditions are building or fading.

Nerd Mode: See what’s really driving the score. Live solar wind, Bz, Kp, Dst, CME timing, and more. Data comes from NOAA SWPC and the Kyoto WDC, with a few metrics calculated here from the raw data. Live data refreshes every minute; trend charts every five.

Related Northern Lights Pages

Aurora Outlook and Prediction for Columbus, Ohio

Space Weather Now

Webcam