Josh Shankowsky

Josh Shankowsky

Space weather tech and SEO nerd.

About

I spent 15 years as an instrumentation technician in Alberta's energy sector before aurora chasing took over. I was in a group chat where we'd spot northern lights together. Existing apps never displayed data how I thought about it, so I built my own charts and refreshed them constantly. Then I wondered: why do this manually when I could automate it? My instrumentation background helped. I understand satellites 93 million miles away monitoring the sun and how to read their data. What started as personal frustration became bigger. I visit Lithuania often where locals say they've never seen auroras. Turns out, you can. I wanted to bring that magic to unexpected places. Now I spend sleepless nights verifying algorithms. Best part? When users send first-timer photos.

Badges

Tastemaker
Tastemaker
Gone streaking
Gone streaking
Gone streaking 5
Gone streaking 5

Maker History

Forums

Josh Shankowsky•

2mo ago

Aurora Admin - Aurora Forecasting - Real-time aurora alerts 30-60 minutes before the show

Most aurora forecasts use outdated historical data showing what happened hours ago. Aurora Admin analyzes real-time solar wind data to predict displays 30-60 minutes before they appear. Our proprietary algorithms process multiple data sources instead of retrospective averages. Catch shows in unexpected places like Seattle, Copenhagen, and Chicago that traditional forecasts miss. SMS alerts work in remote areas with weak cellular. No more constantly checking apps or waking up to missed displays.
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