We recognize, however, that the aurora is visible at night across the US and southern Canada during the summer. This occurs when the planetary magnetic disturbance index, Kp, is higher than 4 to 5.

Now that the sun is entering a period when there will be very few, if any solar flares, we are able to predict roughly the days during each solar rotation (usually five to ten out of 28) when there is a good chance of activity reaching or exceeding Kp=4.

For the rest of the summer, then, we will update about once a week a 28 day forecast of the dates when the aurora may pass south of the Canadian Border at LowLatitudePrediction.php3.

We do not expect that the aurora will be seen south of the middle US, but if there is a chance that the aurora may be more widespread, or if there is a large solar event, we will send out an Auroral Alert. You may sign up for this no cost mailing list at the following web address: http://www.gi.alaska.edu/mailman/listinfo/gse-aa. Membership on the mailing list will ensure you do not miss any of our predictions for large events.

Look at a movie of the solar wind intercepting Earth at http://gse.gi.alaska.edu/recent/javascript_movie.html