Definition
Space weather is the conditions in the space environment around Earth (and other planets) that are driven by solar activity. It includes the solar wind, solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and their effects on Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. When these phenomena interact with Earth, they can cause geomagnetic storms, aurora, and impacts on technology (power grids, satellites, radio, GPS). Space weather is monitored and forecast by agencies such as NOAA SWPC, NASA, and ESA. Cosmic Radar shows the daily Kp index, flares, CMEs, and aurora outlook in one place.
Sources and further reading
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center – US forecasts and alerts
- ESA Space Weather – European service
- NASA Space Weather – NASA monitoring