Space weather as a research area investigates the variable conditions in space driven primarily by solar activity and their impact on the heliosphere, near-Earth environment, and technological systems. It encompasses the study of the solar magnetic field, flares, coronal mass ejections, high-speed solar wind streams, and energetic particles, and how these phenomena interact with planetary magnetospheres, ionospheres, and upper atmospheres. Research integrates observations, theory, and physics-based modeling to understand and predict geomagnetic storms, radiation belt dynamics, ionospheric disturbances, and associated hazards to satellites, communication and navigation systems, power grids, and human spaceflight.
Cosmic rays are high-energy particles that constantly bombard Earth from space and are influenced by the sun's magnetic activity. When the sun is active, fewer of these particles reach Earth; when the sun is quiet, more are ...
Planetary Sciences
Nov 20, 2025
0
26
A geomagnetic superstorm is an extreme space weather event that occurs when the sun releases massive amounts of energy and charged particles toward Earth. These storms are rare, occurring about once every 20–25 years. On ...
Planetary Sciences
Nov 20, 2025
0
73
Space weather forecasters issued an alert on Tuesday for incoming severe solar storms that could produce colorful northern lights and temporarily disrupt communications.
Space Exploration
Nov 12, 2025
0
112
Blue Origin, the space company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, was forced Sunday to postpone the anticipated launch of its New Glenn rocket due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Space Exploration
Nov 10, 2025
0
35
What began with tragedy ended in triumph. This is the untold story of the European Space Agency's pioneering 25-year Cluster mission to study how invisible solar storms impact Earth's environment.
Astronomy
Nov 3, 2025
0
29
The European Space Agency's upcoming Henon mission will be the first ever CubeSat to independently venture into deep space, communicate with Earth and maneuver to its final destination without relying on a bigger spacecraft. ...
Space Exploration
Oct 29, 2025
0
49
No communication or navigation, faulty electronics and collision risk. At ESA's mission control in Darmstadt, teams faced a scenario unlike any before: a solar storm of extreme magnitude. Fortunately, this nightmare unfolded ...
Space Exploration
Oct 24, 2025
0
93
Weather forecasting is a powerful tool. During hurricane season, for instance, meteorologists create computer simulations to forecast how these destructive storms form and where they might travel, which helps prevent damage ...
Astronomy
Oct 13, 2025
0
37
A NASA mission to study the heliosphere—the sun's magnetic bubble that shields our solar system—and develop a better understanding of space weather was launched from the agency's Kennedy Space Center along Florida's Atlantic ...
Astronomy
Sep 24, 2025
1
131
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Compact Coronagraph-2 (CCOR-2) launched at 7:30 a.m. EDT on September 24 onboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) ...
Planetary Sciences
Sep 24, 2025
0
29
