Aurora Oval Screensaver
The Aurora Oval screensaver shows polar-projection maps of the northern and southern auroral ovals, where the aurora is most likely right now, from NOAA's live OVATION model. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
How the Aurora Oval screensaver works
The saver reads NOAA's live OVATION aurora model, which forecasts the chance of visible aurora across the globe.
It draws the data as polar maps looking straight down on the north and south poles, so the auroral oval appears as a glowing ring.
Brighter, greener and violet patches mark where the aurora is strongest right now.
Show one pole or both; it refreshes every few minutes as the oval shifts.
A worked example
During a geomagnetic storm the northern ring flares green and violet down over Canada and Scandinavia, the southern oval glowing over the deep Southern Ocean — both pulsing as the OVATION model updates.
Settings & tips
- Hemisphere shows the north pole, south pole, or both.
- Background sets the space backdrop.
- Greener and violet patches mark stronger aurora.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the forecast live?
- Yes. It comes from NOAA's OVATION aurora model and refreshes every few minutes, so the ovals reflect current conditions.
- How is this different from Space Weather?
- Space Weather maps the aurora on a flat globe with a Kp gauge; Aurora Oval gives the dedicated polar view of each oval.
- What do the colours mean?
- They show aurora intensity — green for moderate activity, shading to violet where the model predicts the strongest displays.
- Does it need a key?
- No. NOAA's space-weather data is free and key-less; the saver only needs an internet connection.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.