Tools and automation
Aurora Alert
SMS alerts when the aurora may be visible at your zip code, from a cron job that checks NOAA's Kp index every 30 minutes.
Goals
- Sign up with a phone number and zip code
- Text me when the Kp index crosses the threshold for my latitude
- Don’t spam me
Design
- A Vercel cron job runs every 30 minutes and checks NOAA’s Kp index
- The Kp threshold is calculated once at signup from the zip code’s latitude
- Anti-spam: a uniqueness constraint per storm window plus a 12-hour cooldown
- Each SMS includes an unsubscribe link with a UUID token
Tech stack
Next.js 16 (App Router), Tailwind v4, Zod v4, Twilio, and Postgres.
Changelog
- 2026-02-07: Built