Old Active Region 1731 is returning on the visible solar disk and already responsible for a M1.7 solar flare. Read about it on the forum. More info

Low, Middle and High Latitude

When you read forecasts about possible chances to see the aurora we speak often about the high, middle and low latitudes. But what do they mean?
There is no exact definition where that boundary lies but the high latitude is situated around the 60° magnetic latitude and higher; the middle latitude between the 50° and 60° magnetic latitude and everything below the 50° magnetic latitude is concidered to be in the category of low latitude.
The image below will make this more clear for your region.

The high, middle and low latitudes

For example, the website is made in Belgium and Belgium is at the 51° geographic latitude and is concidered to be in the lower middle latitude. If I would travel to Paris (France) I would be in the low latitude area.

You can also compare it with the Kp-index, for the middle latitudes a Kp-index of 7 through 8 is required. In the lower latitudes a Kp of 9 is required.

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There are currently, on the basis of the current data, no chances to see an aurora display on the Middle latitudes
In the past two hours there was a small solar flare with a class of:
C2.52

Auroral activity

Live
High latitude (12% chance)
Middle latitude (0% chance)
Low latitude (0% chance)
Today
Minor
Severe
High latitude
20%
75%
Middle latitude
30%
20%

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Raised: 29%

Latest news

Moderately strong M1.77 solar flare
Weak CME impact
Currently we see the effects of the arrival of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) at the ACE satellite. The solar wind speed rose with 79.26 km/sec to 455.5 km/sec.
  • Solar wind speed: 455.5 km/sec and density 0.4 p/cm3
  • IMF Bt (strength): 13.4 nT - Bz 3.2 nT
G2 - Moderate geomagnetic storm (Kp 6.00) - Observers at high latitudes may see some nice periods of visual aurora. The chances for the Middle latitude is still relatively low.

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