Space weather today in Astrakhan

Space weather in Astrakhan today

G1 minor geomagnetic storm forecast (NOAA, 2026-11-06 03:18 UTC). The planetary Kp index is 2 now and forecast to peak at Kp 5 in the next 24 hours. NOAA gives a 35% chance of R1–R2 radio blackouts today, 10% for R3 or stronger, and 5% for a solar radiation storm.

Radio: solar flares only black out HF radio on the half of Earth facing the Sun. The Sun is 2° below the horizon in Astrakhan now (7:26 am local time). The biggest flare in the past 24 hours was M3.5 at 10:33 pm local time, while Astrakhan was on the night side. HF radio is mainly hit by daytime solar flares (radio blackouts), not by geomagnetic storms.

GPS and power: GPS is normally unaffected; only severe G4–G5 storms cause noticeable errors here. Power grid effects are very unlikely at this latitude.

Aurora chance tonight in Astrakhan

Unlikely tonight (Kp 5 forecast; Astrakhan needs an extreme Kp 9 storm). At 41.1° N geomagnetic, Astrakhan is far from the auroral oval; only extreme Kp 9 (G5) storms such as May 2024 bring the aurora into view, mostly to cameras.

At the forecast Kp 5, the aurora's visible edge stays about 1,346 km north of Astrakhan.

NOAA 3-day space weather forecast

Chances that NOAA issues each level somewhere on Earth. Radio blackouts only affect the sunlit side; geomagnetic storms are global but strongest near the poles.

Strongest solar flares this week

C-class and stronger flares from the past 7 days, local time in Astrakhan.

• M3.5 flare peak Thu 10:33 pm, R1 minor radio blackout
• C2.9 flare peak Fri 1:34 am
• C2.5 flare peak Fri 4:24 am
• C2.2 flare peak Wed 9:34 pm
• C1.3 flare peak Fri 2:31 am
• C1.2 flare peak Fri 2:21 am
• C1.2 flare peak Wed 10:54 am
• C1.1 flare peak Thu 9:00 pm
• C1.1 flare peak Wed 2:39 am
• C1.1 flare peak Sun 4:36 pm

What the scales mean

Space weather is the Sun's effect on Earth. NOAA rates it on three 1–5 scales. R (radio blackouts) comes from solar flares: X-rays reach Earth in 8 minutes and disrupt HF radio on the sunlit side for minutes to hours. S (solar radiation storms) comes from energetic protons a few hours later, a hazard for satellites, polar flights and astronauts. G (geomagnetic storms) comes 1–3 days after a coronal mass ejection or a fast solar-wind stream hits the magnetic field: it drives the aurora and can upset GPS, HF radio and power grids.

The Kp index (0–9) measures geomagnetic activity in 3-hour blocks: Kp 5 is a G1 storm, Kp 6 G2, Kp 7 G3, Kp 8 G4 and Kp 9 G5. Flares are classed A, B, C, M and X by peak X-ray brightness, each class ten times the one before; M1 flares cause R1 blackouts and X1 flares R3.

Space weather for nearby cities

• Space weather Volzhsky
• Space weather Makhachkala
• Space weather Volgograd
• Space weather Vladikavkaz
• Space weather Stavropol
• Space weather Tbilisi
• Space weather Saratov
• Space weather Oral

More sky pages

• Space weather today (worldwide)
• Aurora forecast
• Meteor showers

Guides

• Solar Flares and Geomagnetic Storms Explained: R, S and G Scales
• What Kp Index Do You Need to See the Northern Lights?
• How to See the Northern Lights Tonight: A Practical Guide
• GPS Jamming and Spoofing Explained: How Maps Detect It