Aurora Watch (UK)

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is a breathtaking natural phenomenon that can occasionally grace the night skies of Britain. Witnessing this spectacle is an unforgettable experience. Aurora Watch UK provides a valuable service by monitoring geomagnetic activity and alerting users when there is a possibility of seeing the aurora from the UK.

By subscribing to Aurora Watch UK, you can receive timely alerts about increases in geomagnetic activity. These alerts are triggered when the AuroraWatch status level changes, indicating the relative likelihood of viewing the aurora in the UK. You can also check the current alert status, review the recent history of the last 24 hours, and access a 30-minute forecast model provided by the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).

For any issues or inquiries, please email [email protected].

Please note that Aurora Watch UK is not a forecasting app. Certain phone settings, such as Battery Saver, may limit the ability to receive push notifications, thereby narrowing or even closing the aurora alert window. If you are not receiving alerts, check your phone's Settings/Notifications/App settings to ensure that notifications for Aurora Watch UK are enabled.

It's important to understand that the app does not provide historical alerts. If your phone is off or unable to connect to the internet when the status level rises, but the level returns to normal before the next data update, you will not receive an alert. Additionally, there is a necessary delay before alerts are sent, as recommended by Lancaster University, to allow the data to stabilize.

The alerts provided by Lancaster University primarily use data from their Lancaster magnetometer, although they also have other magnetometers, such as one in Shetland. While the chances of seeing the aurora are higher in Shetland, the data from this location is not typically used for alerts, making the alerts slightly more 'pessimistic' 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. The alert data is provided by Lancaster University, UK, using data from the SAMNET and/or AuroraWatchNet magnetometer networks. To learn more about this, visit 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 About.
• Added Bristol and Portsmouth to locations.
• Added new optional Alert Notification "Triggered by value" so that, for example, when there has been a red alert and the status value (nT) goes even higher, you can receive another notification.