Space Weather Guide

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What is Space Weather?

Most of the time space, weather is of little concern in our everyday lives. However, when the space environment is disturbed by the variable output of particles and radiation from the Sun, technologies that we depend on in our daily life, in space orbit as well as on the ground, can be affected. Some of the most dramatic space weather effects occur in association with eruptions of material from the solar atmosphere into interplanetary space. Thus, our space weather is a consequence of the behavior of the Sun, the nature of Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, and our location in the solar system. The increasing deployment of radiation -current- and field sensitive technological systems over the last few decades and the increasing presence of complex systems in space combine to make society more vulnerable to solar-terrestrial disturbances. This has been emphasized by the large number of problems associated with the severe magnetic storms between 1989 and 1991 as the 11 year solar activity cycle peaked.

SOHO Real-time View of the Sun

Space Weather Outlook

Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Geophysical Activity Report and Forecast 28 November 2021

Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Geophysical Activity Report and Forecast SDF Number 332 Issued at 2200Z on 28 Nov 2021 IA. Analysis of Solar Active Regions and Activity from 27/2100Z to 28/2100Z: Solar activity has been at very low levels for the past 24 hours. There are currently 3 numbered sunspot regions on the disk.

IB. Solar Activity Forecast: Solar activity is expected to be very low with a chance for a C-class flares on days one, two, and three (29 Nov, 30 Nov, 01 Dec). IIA. Geophysical Activity Summary 27/2100Z to 28/2100Z: The geomagnetic field has been at quiet to unsettled levels for the past 24 hours. Solar wind speed reached a peak of 417 km/s at 28/0445Z. Total IMF reached 17 nT at 28/0027Z. The maximum southward component of Bz reached -16 nT at 28/0127Z. Electrons greater than 2 MeV at geosynchronous orbit reached a peak level of 412 pfu.

IIB. Geophysical Activity Forecast: The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels on day one (29 Nov) and quiet levels on days two and three (30 Nov, 01 Dec). III. Event probabilities 29 Nov-01 Dec Class M 05/05/05 Class X 01/01/01 Proton 01/01/01 PCAF green IV. Penticton 10.7 cm Flux Observed 28 Nov 092 Predicted 29 Nov-01 Dec 092/094/094 90 Day Mean 28 Nov 088 V. Geomagnetic A Indices Observed Afr/Ap 27 Nov 003/003 Estimated Afr/Ap 28 Nov 007/009 Predicted Afr/Ap 29 Nov-01 Dec 008/008-006/005-005/005 VI. Geomagnetic Activity Probabilities 29 Nov-01 Dec A. Middle Latitudes Active 15/10/10 Minor Storm 05/01/01 Major-severe storm 01/01/01 B. High Latitudes Active 15/20/20 Minor Storm 25/20/20 Major-severe storm 25/10/10