Space weather refers to the time-varying conditions in near-Earth space and throughout the heliosphere driven primarily by solar activity, including the solar wind, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar flares, and variations in the interplanetary magnetic field. As a physical phenomenon, it encompasses the coupling of solar outputs with Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere, producing geomagnetic storms, substorms, ionospheric disturbances, and energetic particle events. These processes are governed by magnetohydrodynamic and plasma-physical interactions, including magnetic reconnection, wave–particle interactions, and particle acceleration, and are quantitatively characterized using indices such as Kp, Dst, AE, and measures of solar wind and IMF parameters.
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
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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
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In May 2024, part of the sun exploded.
Planetary Sciences
Oct 28, 2025
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The sun is frequently ejecting huge masses of plasma, called coronal mass ejections (CMEs), into space. They often occur together with sudden brightenings called flares, and sometimes extend far enough to disturb Earth's ...
Astronomy
Oct 27, 2025
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89
Threats from space aren't always obvious, but statistically, it's only a matter of time before one of them happens. One of the most concerning for many space experts is a massive solar storm, like the one that literally lit ...
Space Exploration
Oct 25, 2025
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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
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91
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
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Magnetotelluric (MT) data, which contain measurements of electric and magnetic field variations at Earth's surface, provide insights into the electrical resistivity of Earth's crust and upper mantle. Changes in resistivity, ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 13, 2025
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25
This week, Sydney hosts the world's largest space conference, attracting astronauts and heads of space agencies from around the planet. It's a great time to ask: what does the average Australian think about space?
Space Exploration
Oct 1, 2025
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19
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
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