Space Weather
Space Weather
Space weather describes changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space. Magnetic fields, radiation, particles and matter, which have been ejected from the Sun, can interact with the Earth’s upper atmosphere and surrounding magnetic field to produce a variety of effects.
Space weather notifications
There are currently no active notifications.
Aurora forecasts
Northern Hemisphere
Earth is currently under the waning influence of coronal hole fast winds, with no significant enhancements to the auroral oval expected.
Southern Hemisphere
Earth is currently under the waning influence of coronal hole fast winds, with no significant enhancements to the auroral oval expected.
Issued at:
Forecast overview
Space Weather Forecast Headline: Nil sig space weather expected.
Analysis of Space Weather Activity over past 24 hours
Solar Activity: Solar activity has been Low, with two low level C class flares. There are three sunspot regions on the Earth-facing disc, all of which are simple at present. There have been no Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) observed in available imagery during the last 24 hours.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: The solar wind was largely Elevated to Strong under coronal hole high speed stream influence. The Total Interplanetary Magnetic Field was largely Moderate initially, before falling to Weak after midday UTC. The north-south component was variable and mainly Weak but mostly positive (northward). Geomagnetic activity was Quiet to Active (Kp 1-4).
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: Solar radiation levels were near normal background levels, well below the S1/Minor radiation storm threshold.
Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary
Solar Activity: Activity is expected to be Low to Very Low.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: There are currently no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections forecast. Wind speeds are expected to be Elevated initially due to coronal hole fast winds. Peak speeds have now likely been reached with a slow decline expected, back to Slightly Elevated by day 2 (13 Apr) and eventually Slow-Ambient later day 3 or day 4 (14/15 Apr).
Geomagnetic activity is expected to be mostly Quiet to Unsettled (Kp 1-3), with a Chance of Active intervals (Kp 4) day 1, before becoming largely Quiet (Kp 0-2) from day 2 (13 Apr) onward.
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: Solar radiation is expected to remain at background levels with solar radiation storms unlikely.
Issued at:
Solar imagery
SDO AIA-193
This channel highlights the outer atmosphere of the Sun - called the corona - as well as hot flare plasma. Hot active regions, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections will appear bright here. The dark areas - called coronal holes - are places where very little radiation is emitted, yet are the main source of solar wind particles.
Issued at:
SDO AIA-304
This channel is especially good at showing areas where cooler dense plumes of plasma (filaments and prominences) are located above the visible surface of the Sun. Many of these features either can't be seen or appear as dark lines in the other channels. The bright areas show places where the plasma has a high density.
Issued at: