Guides

Plain-language explainers. Every factual statement links to NOAA, NASA, university or peer-reviewed sources.

Aurora

What the Kp index means for seeing the aurora

What the planetary Kp index measures, how it maps to how far south the aurora reaches, and why Kp alone does not guarantee a sighting. Sourced to NOAA SWPC and UAF.

How to see the northern lights in the US

A step-by-step, source-cited guide to seeing the aurora from the United States: where to look, which forecasts to watch, what Kp you need, and when to go out.

Best US places and times to see the aurora

Where in the US the aurora is most often visible, which months and hours give the best odds, and why the equinoxes help, with sources from UAF and NOAA SWPC.

Solar physics basics

The solar cycle, explained

What the roughly 11-year solar cycle is, how sunspot numbers are counted, where Solar Cycle 25 stands using live NOAA data, and why forecasting cycles is hard.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), explained

What CMEs are, how fast they travel, how forecasters spot them and time their arrival, and how accurate arrival forecasts really are. Sourced to NOAA SWPC and peer-reviewed studies.

Space weather history

The Carrington Event of 1859

What happened in the September 1859 solar storm, how big it was by modern estimates, what remains uncertain, and how it compares with later extreme events. Primary sources linked.

Space weather impacts

Solar storms and the power grid

How geomagnetic storms induce currents in power lines, what happened in Quebec in March 1989, and how US grid planning standards address the risk. Sourced to NOAA, NERC and peer-reviewed analysis.

Looking for contested or non-mainstream ideas? See the claims directory.