Aurora
The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) are the result of electrons colliding with the upper reaches of Earth’
NOAA Scales mini
R1 (Minor) Radio Blackout Impacts
HF Radio: Weak or minor degradation of HF radio communication on sunlit side, occasional loss of radio contact.
Navigation: Low-frequency navigation signals degraded for brief intervals.
More about the NOAA Space Weather Scales
Navigation: Low-frequency navigation signals degraded for brief intervals.
Space Weather Phenomena
About Space Weather Phenomena
Space Weather describes the variations in the space environment between the sun and Earth. In particular Space Weather describes the phenomena that impact systems and technologies in orbit and on Earth. Space weather can occur anywhere from the surface of the sun to the surface of Earth. As a space weather storm leaves the sun, it passes through the corona and into the solar wind. When it reaches Earth, it energizes Earth’s magnetosphere and accelerates electrons and protons down to Earth’s magnetic field lines where they collide with the atmosphere and ionosphere, particularly at high latitudes. Each component of space weather impacts a different technology. A description of some of the space weather impacts can be found at Space Weather Impacts.
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 Coronal Holes Coronal holes appear as dark areas in the solar corona in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft x-ray solar images. |
 Coronal Mass Ejections Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona. |
 Earth's magnetosphere The magnetosphere is the region of space surrounding Earth where the dominant magnetic field is the magnetic field of Earth, rather than the magnet |
 F10.7 cm Radio Emissions The solar radio flux at 10.7 cm (2800 MHz) is an excellent indicator of solar activity. |
 Galactic Cosmic Rays Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) are the slowly varying, highly energetic background source of energetic particles that constantly bombard Earth. |
 Geomagnetic Storms Geomagnetic storms are fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field, caused by changes in the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. |
 Ionosphere The Ionosphere, between 80 and ~600 km in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, is where solar radiation caused ionization creates a layer of electrons that can effect earth systems. |
 Ionospheric Scintillation Ionospheric scintillation is the rapid modification of radio waves caused by small scale structures in the ionosphere. |
 Radiation Belts Radiation belts are regions of enhanced populations of energetic electrons and protons surrounding the Earth in space. |
 Solar EUV Irradiance Solar Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) is solar radiation that covers the wavelengths 10 – 120 nm of the electromagnetic spectrum. |
 Solar Flares (Radio Blackouts) Solar flares are large eruptions of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun lasting from minutes to hours. |
 Solar Radiation Storm |
 Solar Wind The solar wind continuously flows outward from the Sun and consists mainly of protons and electrons in a state known as a plasma. |
 Sunspots/Solar Cycle Sunspots are dark areas that become apparent at the Sun’s photosphere as a result of intense magnetic flux pushing up from further within the solar |
 Total Electron Content The Total Electron Content (TEC) is the total number of electrons present along a path between a radio transmitter and receiver. |
 What's that bright spot in the Coronal Mass Ejections Image? What are those bright spots that appear in the CME Image, people often ask. |