CanaryObservatory
 
Environment · Instrument dossier

Space Weather

The planetary K-index published by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center: a 0–9 measure of how disturbed Earth's magnetic field is, every three hours. Kp 5 and above is a geomagnetic storm (G1 to G5). Strong geomagnetic storms can disturb GPS, high-frequency radio, satellites and power grids, so they are a possible innocent explanation when other technical signals move.

Current reading

2.33 Kp at the latest collection. Not enough data yet for a historical comparison.

Reading time:

Global (one planet-wide index).

Collector availability
Live
Collection freshness
Last successful collection .

Historical comparison

Space Weather at each collection · breaks = gaps (not interpolated) · expected range appears once 5 earlier days exist at each hour

Interpretation

Not enough data yet. The available history cannot establish whether this reading is typical or unusual.

What movement could mean
  • A solar storm reaching Earth
  • A quiet sun

Kp describes current conditions. It is a context signal, not a forecast of world events. Source-reported severity, statistical deviation and real-world risk are different questions. This reading does not independently support a hypothesis about intent or cause.

Evidence and limitations

Cadence and latency
Collection is scheduled every 30 minutes. Collection cadence is not source latency; no measured end-to-end latency is provided here. Source publication and revisions can delay what is visible.
Known false-positive patterns
  • Revisions of preliminary values
Coverage and blind spots
  • Recent Kp values are preliminary and revised by NOAA.
  • Kp is planet-wide; effects are much stronger near the poles.
  • Readings come every three hours, so a short spike can be averaged away.
Technical detail
Measurement definition
Each observation is one 3-hour Kp reading. The value is Kp; storm readings carry NOAA's G-scale level as the source severity.
Raw metric
kp_index
Method
Every run reads NOAA's last week of Kp readings. Each reading is stored once under its timestamp, so NOAA's revisions update it. The latest Kp is recorded as a snapshot sample.
Stored observations
62

Normal versus unusual

A baseline cannot yet be established. The observatory needs more history before it can say what "normal" looks like for this signal, so no anomaly score is shown.

Source severity

The label the publishing agency assigns (e.g. NWS 'Severe'). Shown verbatim.

Statistical anomaly

How far today's value sits from this signal's own history. Says nothing about consequences.

Real-world risk

A judgment the observatory does not make. Consult official sources for safety decisions.

Observations in range

Recent collection runs

  • · success · 62 stored
  • · success · 62 stored
  • · success · 62 stored
  • · success · 61 stored

How this works

Every 30 minutes we read NOAA's planetary K-index, a 0 to 9 number for how disturbed Earth's magnetic field is, updated every three hours.

Kp 5 or more is a geomagnetic storm; NOAA names these G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme), and we show that label as NOAA gives it. "Normal" is the reading at the same hour on earlier days.

Limits: there is no map point, because this is one number for the whole planet. Recent readings are preliminary.

FAQ

Why is this here?
Storms can disturb GPS, radio and satellites. If internet or GPS signals move at the same time, space weather is one possible plain explanation.