AuroraWatch
AuroraWatch: Aurora Alerts is a free iPhone and Apple Watch app for the Northern and Southern Lights.
It combines NOAA’s OVATION aurora model, the live Kp index, NOAA SWPC solar wind data, USGS magnetometers and your local cloud cover and moon into one view. There are no ads, and you don’t need an account.
- Private AI summariesPro
- Plain-English summaries on the Kp and Solar Wind screens, written on your iPhone with Apple Intelligence. Each one says whether it was made on-device or in the cloud.
- Ask Siri
- Ask about tonight’s aurora chances and Siri answers out loud, taking your location into account.
- Apple Watch appPro
- Kp, solar wind, weather and upcoming changes on your wrist, updated live from your iPhone.
- Weather, with the moon
- A redesigned Weather screen that shows moon illumination and hours of darkness next to cloud cover.
Both hemispheres on one map
Most aurora apps stop at the Arctic. AuroraWatch shows the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis on the same NOAA OVATION model, with cloud cover on top, so it works as well in New Zealand and Tasmania as in Norway or Alaska.
Space weather you can read
Live Kp, solar wind speed, density and Bz, with a one-line summary of what it means for you tonight. The Substorm Monitor (Beta) reads USGS magnetometers to time aurora bursts.
Alerts that check the sky
Choose your own Kp thresholds. Cloud cover, moon illumination and hours of darkness sit next to the numbers, so a strong storm under full cloud won’t send you outside for nothing.
Watch the sun
Live images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, solar flare probabilities, and experimental detection of active regions and coronal holes (Beta).
Free, or Pro
Everything you need on a storm night is free. Pro adds your wrist, your Lock Screen and deeper data.
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Forecasts and live data | ||
| Aurora map for both hemispheres (NOAA OVATION) | Included | Included |
| Real-time Kp index | Included | Included |
| Live solar wind: speed, density and Bz | Included | Included |
| Cloud cover, moon illumination and darkness | Included | Included |
| Substorm Monitor (Beta) | Included | Included |
| Solar flare probabilities and SDO imagery | Included | Included |
| Ask Siri about tonight’s aurora | Included | Included |
| Custom push notifications | Included | Included |
| Pro | ||
| AI summaries, private on-device with Apple Intelligence | Not included | Included |
| Apple Watch dashboard | Not included | Included |
| Live Activity on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island | Not included | Included |
| Home Screen widgets | Not included | Included |
| Aurora Now alerts for your area | Not included | Included |
| Minute-resolution Kp, 45-day Ap outlook, GOES X-ray history | Not included | Included |
| 48-hour solar wind history with date scrubbing | Not included | Included |
| Northern Lights, Eclipse and Storm themes | Not included | Included |
| Pro is weekly, monthly or annual. Upgrade in the app, and cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. | ||
Questions
Anything else, email aurorawatch.app@gmail.com
Is AuroraWatch free?
Yes. The aurora map, Kp index, solar wind, cloud cover, moon illumination, Substorm Monitor, Siri and push alerts are free, with no ads. Pro is an optional subscription for widgets, Live Activity, the Apple Watch app, AI summaries and deeper charts.
Does it work in the Southern Hemisphere?
Yes. AuroraWatch tracks the Aurora Australis and the Aurora Borealis on the same NOAA OVATION feed, so it works as well in New Zealand and Tasmania as in Norway, Iceland or Alaska.
Where does the data come from?
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (Kp, solar wind and the OVATION model), NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (images of the sun) and USGS magnetometers (Substorm Monitor), plus local weather for cloud cover.
Is there an Apple Watch app?
Yes, for Pro subscribers. It shows Kp, solar wind, weather and upcoming changes, updated live from your iPhone.
Do the AI summaries send my data anywhere?
Where Apple Intelligence is available, summaries are written privately on your iPhone. Every summary is labelled so you can see whether it was made on-device or in the cloud.
Can I ask Siri about the aurora?
Yes. Ask Siri about tonight’s aurora chances and it answers out loud, taking your location into account.