By reviewing these FAQs, you should have a clearer idea of how Aurora Admin works, why certain features require a subscription, and how to get the most out of the service. We strive to make the experience accessible, informative, and enjoyable, helping you catch those magical moments when the auroras light up the night sky.
help_outlineHelp & Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Aurora Admin and what does it do?
A: Aurora Admin is an online service that provides forecasts of auroral activity (Northern or Southern Lights). It uses real-time space weather data and specialized algorithms to predict the likelihood of seeing auroras at your chosen location.
Q: Do I need any prior knowledge or tools to use Aurora Admin?
A: No. Anyone interested in viewing auroras can use it. Simply create an account, set your location, choose your notification preferences, and you’ll receive alerts if conditions become favorable.
Q: Is Aurora Admin free to use?
A: Aurora Admin offers both free and premium features. Viewing basic information and forecasts on the site is generally free, but advanced notification features and certain premium forecasting tools require a subscription.
Q: Why do you charge for the premium features?
A: Gathering and processing real-time data, maintaining servers, and running advanced forecasting algorithms are all costly. We do not charge for the data itself—much of it is sourced from public domain information. Instead, your subscription helps cover the costs of processing, delivering notifications, maintaining the infrastructure, and continuously improving the forecast accuracy. We aim not to profit excessively but to sustain the platform for the benefit of our community.
Q: What do I get with a premium subscription?
A: Premium subscribers gain access to advanced notifications (e.g., alerts sent to your phone when the auroral conditions meet your chosen criteria), customizable forecasting metrics, and priority access to support. This ensures you never miss a good aurora show due to checking the website too late.
Q: How do I receive notifications?
A: When you enable notifications, you provide your phone number and select your preferred method of contact (such as text message or phone call). If conditions become favorable during your chosen timeframe, you’ll receive an alert.
Q: Will I receive too many messages or calls?
A: You can set a notification interval and a time window to control when and how often we send alerts. For example, you might choose to only be alerted once every hour, or only during nighttime hours when you’re likely to see the aurora.
Q: Can I customize when I get notifications?
A: Yes. You can specify a start and end time for notifications, ensuring you aren’t disturbed at inconvenient hours. You can also adjust thresholds so that you only get alerts when auroral activity meets your personal criteria.
Q: What's the difference of Sent and Delivered in my Notification Log?
A: In your notification log sent means the SMS was sucessfully sent and delivered to you. If your notification log says delivered there may be an issue with your carrier. Please contact us if you are not getting notifications or if it says delivered.
Q: How do I set my location?
A: On the Aurora settings page you can either select from a list of major cities or enter custom coordinates if you live in a more remote area. Aurora Admin will use this location to determine the aurora visibility probability.
Q: Is the aurora forecast always accurate?
A: Forecasting auroras is complex and involves many factors. While we use reliable data sources and sophisticated algorithms, no forecast is perfect. Consider our alerts as guidance rather than guarantees. Sometimes conditions change rapidly, so always keep an eye on real-time updates.
Q: I’m in a city with a low aurora probability. Will I ever receive an alert?
A: Auroral activity often depends on latitude and space weather conditions. If you live far from the poles, natural auroral displays are less common. However, setting a lower threshold or monitoring advanced metrics may increase your chances of receiving notifications when rare opportunities arise.
Q: What is the difference between basic and advanced forecasting modes?
- A:
City-Based Mode: Uses a simple probability model for your chosen location. You get an alert if the forecast probability exceeds the threshold you set. - Advanced Mode: Lets you set specific conditions (like certain space weather parameters) that must be met to trigger a notification. This mode is useful for those who want more control and are interested in the science behind auroras.
Q: Do I need to understand solar wind speeds or Kp indices to use advanced mode?
A: No. While understanding these terms can enhance your experience, you can simply use suggested values or experiment with different thresholds. Over time, you’ll learn what conditions usually lead to better aurora sightings in your area.
Q: What does your sub strom detector do?
A: The Aurora Substorm Scale (ASS) Detector automatically combines a range of real‐time solar‐wind and geomagnetic data into a single, easy‐to‐understand substorm score between 0 and 100. It also classifies the current state of auroral activity into one of four phases—Quiet, Growth, Expansion, or Recovery.
A higher substorm score indicates stronger chances of active auroral displays.
The phase label helps you quickly determine whether the aurora might be ramping up (Growth), in peak storm time (Expansion), coming down from a peak (Recovery), or is calm and subdued (Quiet).
Q: Why is it helpful?
A: Instead of checking multiple space‐weather dashboards and monitoring complicated plots of Bz, By, dynamic pressure, or GOES magnetometers, you can simply look at one combined metric. This saves time for aurora enthusiasts who just want to know whether they should grab their camera and head outside.
Q: What is the time delay?
A: Our sub storm and auroral activity detector has an estimated time delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
Q: What is the Aurora Activity Score?
A: Displays a number from 0–100 indicating how “active” the current sub storm conditions might be. A higher score implies stronger sub storm activity. Generally speaking, the more activity, the further south the aurora will be, or further north if you are in the southern hemisphere.
Q: How can I better interpret the score and phase?
A:
- Score Range
- 0–20: Typically quiet or mild.
- 20–50: Sub storm activity may be building (growth) or lightly ongoing.
- 50–80: Good chance of an expansion phase substorm.
- 80–100: Strong expansion or a high geomagnetic activity.
- Phase Labels
- Quiet: Nothing big is happening. Aurora might be faint or stable.
- Growth: Substorm is charging up. Conditions are getting more favorable.
- Expansion: The sub storm is erupting! Good time to watch the aurora.
- Recovery: The sub storm is winding down; may still see some lingering auroral activity.
Q: What are the limitations and accuracy of the sub storm detector?
A:
- Heuristic, Not Physics Model
The algorithm uses approximate weighting rules. It can misfire under edge cases or when the official data lags or is noisy. - Clock Angle Emphasis
We favor the clock angle more heavily than direct By contributions. Some substorms can still develop with unique By‐dominant configurations, so occasionally the algorithm may underestimate or overestimate the risk. - Propagation Delays
We estimate solar‐wind arrival time from DSCOVR’s measured speed. If the speed is highly variable or DSCOVR data is off, our internal timeline might shift incorrectly. - GOES Day/Night
We only have two satellites (GOES‐16 & GOES‐18). Our day/night assignment can be oversimplified if they’re not well distributed or if local times are near the cusp.
Overall, despite these drawbacks, the ASS Detector provides a practical “quick glance” measure—ideal for enthusiasts who want to know “Should I head outside right now?”
Q: Why does it sometimes say Quiet when the GOES plot looks disturbed?
A:The data can be out of sync, or the thresholds might not be met. If the Bz or Kp aren’t beyond certain cutoffs when checked, it’ll default to Quiet.
Q: Does this guarantee I’ll see auroras if it says Expansion?
A: No, it’s an approximation. Aurora depends on many factors (local weather, darkness, location). The score simply reflects magnetospheric conditions that commonly fuel auroras.
Q: What's a recommended alert starting point?
A: If you’re using the alert system we’d recommend a Score of 70 or greater.
Q: I’m not receiving any alerts even though I’m subscribed. What can I do?
A: Check that you’ve enabled notifications in your user settings, ensure your phone number is correct, and verify that your alert criteria (like time windows and probability thresholds) are set realistically. If you continue having issues, contact our support team for assistance.
Q: My friend got an alert, but I didn’t. Why?
A: Differences in location, thresholds, and notification settings can cause variations in who receives alerts. For example, if your threshold is higher or your notification window is shorter, you might miss out on some alerts your friend receives.
Q: How can I get help if something isn’t working correctly?
A: We offer a help section on our website with detailed instructions. If you still need assistance, you can reach out to our support team. They’ll guide you through troubleshooting steps and help resolve any issues.
Q: What do you do with my phone number and personal data?
A: Your privacy is important to us. We use your phone number solely to send you notifications you’ve requested. We do not sell or share your personal information with third parties. For full details, please review our Privacy Policy.
Q: If the data is public, why am I paying a subscription?
A: While much of the raw data is publicly available, processing it into useful forecasts, providing advanced features like notifications, maintaining the website, and ensuring reliable performance costs money. Your subscription helps offset these expenses so we can continue offering the service.
Q: Are you trying to make a profit?
A: Our primary goal is to cover operating costs—such as hosting, data processing, and support—while providing a valuable tool for aurora enthusiasts. We aim to keep prices fair and transparent, making it possible for everyone interested to enjoy the wonders of the aurora.
Q: Will you add more features or data sources in the future?
A: We are always looking for ways to improve the service. We may introduce more data points, refined algorithms, and enhanced notifications over time, guided by user feedback.
Q: How can I suggest a new feature or improvement?
A: We welcome feedback! Contact our support team or use the feedback form on our website. We value your suggestions and will consider them as we plan future updates.