Data
Microproduct Data GuideBeginner

NOAA SWPC Space Weather

Operational geomagnetic and space-weather indices for building grid, radio, and satellite-environment monitors.

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At a Glance

Difficulty
Beginner — comfortable for a first prototype
Size
Tiny · ≤0.05 GB
Formats
JSON
Access
API or Download
API Key
Not Required
Provider
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
Updates
Near Real Time
Last Verified
Aug 18, 2026
Source Type
Government Source
Data Terms
NOAA disclaimer / U.S. public domain
  • Python Syntax Checked
  • Runnable Notebook

From Source to Product Signal

Test a Product Idea in Four Steps

SWPC publishes JSON products for planetary K-index and related scales. Start with the compact planetary K-index file. A high Kp value is not a confirmed power-grid outage, radio blackout, or satellite anomaly.

1

Check the Setup

  • Python 3.10 or newer
  • A notebook environment such as Jupyter or Google Colab
  • An internet connection
2

Access the Data

  1. 1.Open the SWPC data-access page and note the JSON product directory.
  2. 2.Download the planetary K-index JSON feed.
  3. 3.Record observed versus estimated values and the retrieval timestamp.
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3

Run the Python Example

Install the packages, then run the notebook cell.

python -m pip install pandas requests

import pandas as pd
import requests

response = requests.get(
    "https://services.swpc.noaa.gov/products/noaa-planetary-k-index.json",
    timeout=30,
)
response.raise_for_status()
kp = pd.DataFrame(response.json())
kp["retrieved_at_utc"] = pd.Timestamp.now(tz="UTC")
print(kp.tail(12))
4

Test a Useful Signal

Flag Elevated Planetary K-Index Periods

Test whether recent Kp values can trigger a bounded space-weather awareness alert.

  1. 01Convert time_tag to timestamps and kp to numbers.
  2. 02List periods at or above Kp 5 and separate observed from estimated rows.
  3. 03Explain that Kp is not a grid-outage confirmation and that NOAA scales describe potential impacts only.

Related Datasets

Dataset Details

NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center is a government source. Last verified 2026-08-18. Temporal coverage: continuously updated operational products.

Geography

Global

Formats

JSON

Provider

NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

Data Terms

NOAA disclaimer / U.S. public domain

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