{
  "name": "Northern Lights Statistics 2026: verified planning dataset",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://polartourist.com/blog/northern-lights-statistics-resource-2026",
  "dataChecked": "2026-07-15",
  "pageUpdated": "2026-07-15",
  "methodology": "Direct transcription of final SILSO Version 2.0 cycle maxima and annual means, plus NOAA operational Kp-to-G-scale thresholds. No values are interpolated or presented as location-specific sighting probabilities.",
  "limitations": "Sunspot numbers and Kp describe solar and geomagnetic activity, not a guarantee of visible aurora. Local darkness, cloud, light pollution, viewing direction and geomagnetic latitude also matter.",
  "completedSolarCycleMaxima": [
    {
      "cycle": 19,
      "peakMonth": "1958-03",
      "smoothedSunspotNumber": 285
    },
    {
      "cycle": 21,
      "peakMonth": "1979-12",
      "smoothedSunspotNumber": 232.9
    },
    {
      "cycle": 22,
      "peakMonth": "1989-11",
      "smoothedSunspotNumber": 212.5
    },
    {
      "cycle": 23,
      "peakMonth": "2001-11",
      "smoothedSunspotNumber": 180.3
    },
    {
      "cycle": 24,
      "peakMonth": "2014-04",
      "smoothedSunspotNumber": 116.4
    }
  ],
  "solarCycle25AnnualMeans": [
    {
      "year": 2019,
      "annualMeanSunspotNumber": 3.6
    },
    {
      "year": 2020,
      "annualMeanSunspotNumber": 8.8
    },
    {
      "year": 2021,
      "annualMeanSunspotNumber": 29.6
    },
    {
      "year": 2022,
      "annualMeanSunspotNumber": 83.2
    },
    {
      "year": 2023,
      "annualMeanSunspotNumber": 125.5
    },
    {
      "year": 2024,
      "annualMeanSunspotNumber": 154.7
    },
    {
      "year": 2025,
      "annualMeanSunspotNumber": 123.2
    }
  ],
  "geomagneticStormScale": [
    {
      "kp": "5",
      "noaaLevel": "G1",
      "label": "Minor"
    },
    {
      "kp": "6",
      "noaaLevel": "G2",
      "label": "Moderate"
    },
    {
      "kp": "7",
      "noaaLevel": "G3",
      "label": "Strong"
    },
    {
      "kp": "8 or 9−",
      "noaaLevel": "G4",
      "label": "Severe"
    },
    {
      "kp": "9",
      "noaaLevel": "G5",
      "label": "Extreme"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "owner": "SILSO, Royal Observatory of Belgium",
      "url": "https://www.sidc.be/SILSO/cyclesmm"
    },
    {
      "owner": "SILSO, Royal Observatory of Belgium",
      "url": "https://www.sidc.be/SILSO/DATA/SN_y_tot_V2.0.txt"
    },
    {
      "owner": "NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center",
      "url": "https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/planetary-k-index"
    },
    {
      "owner": "NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center",
      "url": "https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation"
    },
    {
      "owner": "NASA and NOAA",
      "url": "https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-noaa-sun-reaches-maximum-phase-in-11-year-solar-cycle/"
    },
    {
      "owner": "University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute",
      "url": "https://www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast"
    }
  ],
  "reuse": {
    "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
    "attribution": "PolarTourist, “Northern Lights Statistics 2026: verified planning dataset,” updated 2026-07-15, https://polartourist.com/blog/northern-lights-statistics-resource-2026. Retain the embedded primary-source notes.",
    "note": "The CC BY 4.0 notice applies to PolarTourist’s compilation and charts; underlying source data remains subject to its source owner’s terms."
  }
}