Eyes on the Skies: Scientists Crack Code on Earth-Threatening Solar Storms
Researchers have developed a method to predict the speed and arrival time of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) before they fully erupt from the Sun. This…
Space Weather News
Space weather refers to the environmental conditions in space as influenced by the Sun and the solar wind, which can affect space-borne and ground-based technological systems and through these, human life and activities. Solar phenomena like solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and high-speed solar wind streams emit particles and electromagnetic radiation into space that can have direct impacts on Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and upper atmosphere. These interactions can lead to a variety of effects, including the auroras (northern and southern lights), disruptions in satellite operations, damage to satellite electronics, and disturbances in radio communications and navigation systems. More extreme space weather events can even affect electrical power grids by inducing ground currents that overload systems. Monitoring and forecasting space weather is crucial for protecting technological infrastructure and ensuring the safety of astronauts in space.
Rethinking Sunspots: Solar Physicists Uncover Surprising Shallow New Origins
New research suggests the solar dynamo, responsible for solar cycles and sunspots, starts in the sun’s outer layers. This challenges older theories of a deeper…
NASA Supercomputer Solves 400-Year-Old Solar Magnetic Puzzle
A new study reveals the sun’s magnetic field originates closer to the surface, solving a 400-year-old mystery first probed by Galileo and enhancing solar storm…
The Sun Unleashed: How NASA Tracked the Most Intense Solar Storm in Decades
May 2024 witnessed one of the most significant solar storms in decades, featuring a barrage of solar flares and coronal mass ejections that caused historic…
Controversial Findings: Astrophysicists Rethink Solar Magnetic Fields
Solar phenomena like sunspots and flares could be a product of a shallow magnetic field, according to surprising new findings that may help scientists predict…
Rapid-Fire Solar Flares Unleashed: NASA Witnesses 82 Intense Flares This Week [Video]
From May 3 through May 9, 2024, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory observed 82 notable solar flares. The flares came mainly from two active regions on…
NOAA Issues First Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch Since 2005 – Giant Sunspot Cluster 16x Earth’s Diameter
On Thursday, May 9, 2024, the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center issued a Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch. At least five earth-directed coronal mass ejections…
Solar Storm Secrets Unveiled: Tree Ring Evidence From the 1859 Carrington Event
A research group coordinated by the University of Helsinki was able to measure a spike in radiocarbon concentration of trees in Lapland that occurred after…
Geomagnetic Meltdown: NOAA Satellites Detect Severe Solar Storm
NOAA’s GOES satellites observed significant solar activity, including a severe geomagnetic storm, marking the peak phase of Solar Cycle 25. Advanced tools like the GOES-U…
Unlocking Cosmic Secrets With Carruthers’ Ultraviolet Eye
The Carruthers Observatory, launching in 2025, will explore the Earth’s exosphere from a stable point one million miles away, providing unprecedented continuous observations. The ultraviolet…
St. Patrick’s Aurora Illuminates the Alaskan Night Sky
This majestic image of the dazzling green lights of the aurora borealis was captured on March 17, 2015, around 5:30 a.m. EDT in Donnelly Creek,…
NASA Captures Sun’s Fury: Strongest Solar Flare Since 2017
The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 4:55 p.m. EST, on December 31, 2023. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly,…
Science Made Simple: What Is Earth’s Magnetosphere?
What Is Earth’s Magnetosphere? Enveloping our planet and protecting us from the fury of the Sun is a giant bubble of magnetism called the magnetosphere….
NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) Launches to Space Station
At 8:28 p.m. EST on November 9, 2023, NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment, or AWE, lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX…
Solar Storm Spectacle: Colorful Auroras Light Up Earth’s Atmosphere
Curtains of colorful light danced across the sky after solar storms sent energized particles crashing into Earth’s upper atmosphere. In early November 2023, skywatchers across…
NASA’s AWE Mission Launching to Space Station To Study Atmospheric Gravity Waves via Airglow
NASA’s AWE mission, set to launch to the ISS, will examine atmospheric waves and their effects on space weather through the Earth’s natural airglow, informing…
Largest Ever Solar Storm Identified in Ancient Tree Rings – Could Devastate Modern Technology and Cost Billions
Scientists discovered a radiocarbon spike 14,300 years ago, caused by the largest known solar storm. Such an event today could devastate modern technology and cost…
An Unprecedented Opportunity – Using Cosmic Weather To Study Which Worlds Could Support Alien Life
The study employs a new code to test the abilities of the next generation of telescopes. As the next generation of giant, high-powered observatories starts…