Search APIs

Get current space weather alerts and warnings from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). Returns active geomagnetic storm watches, solar radiation storms, radio blackout alerts, and other space weather advisories. Each alert includes severity level, issue time, and description. Essential for aurora chasers, satellite operators, aviation planners, and power grid managers who need to monitor geomagnetic disturbances.

Get recent planetary K-index (Kp) values from NOAA SWPC, the primary indicator of geomagnetic storm activity. The Kp index ranges from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm). Values of 5+ indicate geomagnetic storms visible as aurora at lower latitudes. Returns a time series of recent Kp readings. Critical for aurora prediction apps, satellite drag calculations, GPS accuracy monitoring, and space weather dashboards.

Get recent solar flare events from NOAA SWPC, including flare class (A, B, C, M, X), peak time, begin/end times, and source active region. M-class and X-class flares can cause radio blackouts, GPS disruptions, and enhanced aurora displays. Useful for amateur radio operators monitoring propagation conditions, aurora forecasters, space weather researchers, and satellite operators assessing radiation risk.

Get recent daily sunspot numbers from NOAA SWPC, tracking solar activity levels. Sunspot numbers correlate with the 11-year solar cycle and predict space weather intensity. Higher sunspot counts mean more frequent solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and aurora displays. Useful for solar cycle tracking dashboards, long-term space weather forecasting, amateur astronomy tools, and climate research applications studying solar irradiance variability.

Get an estimated Bortle class (1-9) for any location based on nearby population density. This is an estimate, not a satellite measurement - it uses weighted population within 100km to approximate sky brightness. Returns Bortle class, sky quality rating, estimated naked-eye star count, SQM (Sky Quality Meter) estimate, and aurora viewing suitability. Accurate for major cities and remote areas; less precise for suburbs. Useful for astronomy apps, aurora tourism, astrophotography planning, and dark sky awareness.

Get an aurora borealis viewing score for any location, combining real-time space weather data (Kp index, solar wind) with local weather conditions (cloud cover, light pollution) and geographic latitude. Returns a composite score from 0-100 indicating how likely you are to see the Northern Lights tonight. Ideal for aurora alert apps, tourism platforms in Nordic regions, photography planning tools, and travel apps that help visitors time their trips to see the aurora.