Application Description

The aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, is a breathtaking natural phenomenon that occasionally graces the night skies over Britain. Once witnessed, it leaves an indelible impression. AuroraWatch UK offers a unique service that helps you keep an eye on geomagnetic activity, alerting you when there's a possibility of seeing the aurora from the UK.

With AuroraWatch UK, you can receive timely alerts about increases in geomagnetic activity. These alerts are triggered when the AuroraWatch status level changes, indicating the relative likelihood of catching a glimpse of an aurora in the UK. You can also check the current alert status, review the recent history of the last 24 hours, and access a 30-minute forecast model provided by the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).

For any issues or concerns, please feel free to email [email protected].

Important Notes:

AuroraWatch UK is not a forecasting app. Be aware that phone settings like Battery Saver can restrict push notifications, which may reduce or completely eliminate the window for receiving aurora alerts. If you're not getting alerts, check your phone's Settings/Notifications/App settings to ensure that notifications for AuroraWatch UK are enabled.

The app does not send alerts retroactively. If your phone is off or unable to connect to the internet when the status changes, and the level drops before the next data update, you will not receive an alert. There's also a necessary delay in sending alerts, as the data needs time to stabilize, as recommended by Lancaster University.

Lancaster University, which provides the alert data, primarily uses their Lancaster magnetometer, though they also have others, including one in Shetland. Alerts might be more conservative since they're typically based on the Lancaster data, which is more suitable for those in England but less so for those further north, where the likelihood of seeing the aurora is higher.

The AuroraWatch UK app for Android is developed and maintained by Smallbouldering Projects and is not an 'Official' app. The alerts data is sourced from Lancaster University, UK, using data from the SAMNET and/or AuroraWatchNet magnetometer networks. For more information, visit http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/introduction.

What's New in Version 1.97

Last updated on Oct 20, 2024:

• Added some abbreviations to the About section.
• Included Bristol and Portsmouth as new locations.
• Introduced a new optional Alert Notification "Triggered by value," allowing you to receive another notification if, for example, there's a red alert and the status value (nT) increases further.

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