Aurora australis observed by Discovery, May 1991.

Space weather is the concept of changing environmental conditions in outer space. It is distinct from the concept of weather within a planetary atmosphere, and generally deals with the interactions of ambient radiation and matter within interplanetary, and occasionally interstellar space. From the definition of the National Academy of Science: "Space weather describes the conditions in space that affect Earth and its technological systems. Our space weather is a consequence of the behavior of the sun, the nature of Earth's magnetic field, and our location in the solar system." ^[1] Download high resolution version (874x576, 51 KB)NASA image of aurora australis taken from Space Shuttle in May 1991. ... Download high resolution version (874x576, 51 KB)NASA image of aurora australis taken from Space Shuttle in May 1991. ... Aurora borealis Polar aurorae are optical phenomena characterized by colorful displays of light in the night sky. ... Space Shuttle Discovery (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of three remaining spacecraft in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), along with Atlantis and Endeavour. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[1] Outer space, sometimes simply called space, refers to the relatively empty regions of the universe outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ... Weather is a term that encompasses phenomena in the atmosphere of a planet. ... Atmosphere is the general name for a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass. ... Radiation as used in physics, is energy in the form of waves or moving subatomic particles. ... Matter is the substance of which physical objects are composed. ... Interplanetary space refers to the region of outer space between planets in a solar system. ... Interstellar Space was one of the last albums recorded before the death of John Coltrane in 1967. ...

Within our own solar system, space weather is greatly influenced by the speed and density of the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) carried by the solar wind plasma. A variety of physical phenomena are associated with space weather, including geomagnetic storms and substorms, energization of the Van Allen radiation belts, ionospheric disturbances and scintillation, aurora and geomagnetically induced currents at Earth's surface. Coronal Mass Ejections and their associated shock waves are also important drivers of space weather as they can compress the magnetosphere and trigger geomagnetic storms. Solar Energetic Particles, acclerated by Coronal Mass Ejections or solar flares are also an important driver of space weather as they can damage electronics onboard spacecraft and threaten the life of astronauts. Major features of the Solar System (not to scale; from left to right): Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, the asteroid belt, the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and its Moon, and Mars. ... The plasma in the solar wind meeting the heliopause The solar wind is a stream of charged particles (i. ... A plasma lamp, illustrating some of the more complex phenomena of a plasma, including filamentation. ... A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earths magnetosphere. ... Van Allen radiation belts The Van Allen Radiation Belt is a torus of energetic charged particles (plasma) around Earth, held in place by Earths magnetic field. ... The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, shines above Bear Lake Aurora Borealis as seen over Canada at 11,000m (36,000 feet) Red and green Aurora in Fairbanks,Alaska For other uses, see Aurora (disambiguation). ... Geomagnetically induced currents (GIC), affecting the normal operation of long technological conductor systems, are a manifestation at ground level of space weather. ... A composite image showing two CMEs (at 2 oclock and 8 oclock), with the sun at center. ... Introduction The shock wave is one of several different ways in which a gas in a supersonic flow can be compressed. ... A magnetosphere is the region around an astronomical object in which phenomena are dominated or organized by its magnetic field. ... Solar Energetic Particles are high-energy particles coming from the Sun which had been first observed in the early 1940s. ... A composite image showing two CMEs (at 2 oclock and 8 oclock), with the sun at center. ... A Solar Flare and CME, courtesy NASA A solar flare is a violent explosion in the Suns atmosphere with an energy equivalent to a billion megatons, traveling normally at about 1 million km per hour (about 0. ...

Space weather exerts a profound influence in several areas related to space exploration and development. Changing geomagnetic conditions can induce changes in atmospheric density causing the rapid degradation of spacecraft altitude in Low Earth orbit. Geomagnetic storms due to increased solar activity can potentially blind sensors aboard spacecraft, or interfere with on-board electronics. An understanding of space environmental conditions is also important in designing shielding and life support systems for manned spacecraft. There is also some concern that geomagnetic storms may also expose conventional aircraft flying at high latitudes to increased amounts of radiation. A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit in which objects such as satellites are below intermediate circular orbit (ICO) and far below geostationary orbit, but typically around 350 - 1400 km above the Earths surface. ...

Modeling Efforts

Major modelling efforts to simulate the space environment from the Sun to the Earth and beyond using three-dimensional global Magnetohydrodynamics frameworks have been undertaken since the 1990s. In the United States, the two major centers are the Center for Space Environment Modeling (CSEM) and the Center for Integrated Space weather Modeling (CISM). Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) (magnetofluiddynamics or hydromagnetics) is the academic discipline which studies the dynamics of electrically conducting fluids. ... Look up Framework in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Examples of space weather events

• The best-known example of space weather events is the collapse of the HydroQuebec power network on March 13, 1989 due to geomagnetically induced currents. This was started by a transformer failure, which led to a general blackout, which lasted more than 9 hours and affected 6 million people. The geomagnetic storm causing this event was itself the result of a Coronal Mass Ejection, ejected from the Sun on March 9, 1989.^[2]
  
• A Coronal Mass Ejection on January 7, 1997 hit the Earth's magnetosphere on January 10 and caused the loss of the AT&T Telstar 401 communication satellite (a $200 million value).^[3]
  
• Transpolar routes flown by airplanes are particularly sensitive to space weather, in part because of Federal Aviation Regulations requiring reliable communication over the entire flight. It is estimated to cost about $100,000 each time such a flight is diverted from a polar route. Nine airlines are currently operating polar routes. ^[4]
  
• No large Solar Energetic Particles event happened during a manned mission. However, such a large event happened on August 7, 1972, between Apollo 16 and Apollo 17. The dose of particles which would have hit an astronaut, had this event happened during one of these missions, would have been deadly or at least life-threatening.^[5] Nozomi Mars Probe was hit by a large Solar Energetic Particles event on April 21, 2002, which caused large-scale failure. The mission, which was already about 3 years behind schedule, was eventually abandoned in December 2003.^[6]

Hydro-Québec is a crown corporation that provides hydroelectric power for Quebec, Canada and the north-eastern parts of the United States. ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Geomagnetically induced currents (GIC), affecting the normal operation of long technological conductor systems, are a manifestation at ground level of space weather. ... Three-phase pole-mounted step-down transformer. ... Power Outage is an episode of The WB drama series, Charmed. ... A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earths magnetosphere. ... A composite image showing two CMEs (at 2 oclock and 8 oclock), with the sun at center. ... “Sol” redirects here. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (69th in leap years). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... A composite image showing two CMEs (at 2 oclock and 8 oclock), with the sun at center. ... January 7 is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... A magnetosphere is the region around an astronomical object in which phenomena are dominated or organized by its magnetic field. ... January 10 is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... AT&T Inc. ... Telstar 401 was a communications satellite owned by AT&T which was destroyed by a magnetic storm in 1997. ... It has been suggested that Temporary Flight Restriction be merged into this article or section. ... Solar Energetic Particles are high-energy particles coming from the Sun which had been first observed in the early 1940s. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Apollo 16 was the tenth manned mission in the Apollo program and the fifth mission to land on the Moon. ... Apollo 17 was the eleventh manned space mission in the NASA Apollo program. ... Solar Energetic Particles are high-energy particles coming from the Sun which had been first observed in the early 1940s. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Space weather at the Earth’s surface

The best known ground-level consequence of space weather is geomagnetically induced currents, or GIC. These are damaging electrical currents that can flow in power grids, pipelines and other conducting networks. Rapid magnetic changes on the ground - that occur during geomagnetic storms and are associated with space weather - can also be important for activities such as geophysical mapping and hydrocarbon production. Space weather impacts on these activities are described here. Geomagnetically induced currents (GIC), affecting the normal operation of long technological conductor systems, are a manifestation at ground level of space weather. ... A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earths magnetosphere. ...

Geophysical Exploration

Air and ship borne magnetic surveys can be affected by rapid magnetic field variations during geomagnetic storms, that is, by space weather. Storms can cause data interpretation problems where the magnetic field changes due to space weather are of similar magnitude to those of the sub-surface crustal magnetic field in the survey area. Accurate geomagnetic storm warnings, including an assessment of the magnitude and duration of the storm, allows for an economic use of survey equipment. An aeromagnetic survey is a common type of geophysical survey carried out using a magnetometer aboard or towed behind an aircraft. ...

Geophysics and Hydrocarbon Production

For economic and other reasons, oil and gas production often involves the directional drilling of well paths many kilometres from a single wellhead in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The accuracy requirements are strict, due to target size – reservoirs may only be a few tens to hundreds of metres across – and for safety reasons, because of the proximity of other boreholes. Surveying by the most accurate gyroscopic method is expensive, since it can involve the cessation of drilling for a number of hours. An alternative is to use a magnetic survey, which enables measurement while drilling (MWD). Near real time magnetic data can be used to correct the drilling direction and nearby magnetic observatories prove vital (Clark and Clarke, 2001; Reay et al, 2006). Magnetic data and storm forecasts can also be helpful in clarifying unknown sources of drilling error on an on-going basis. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Measurement While Drilling - a procedure used on drilling rigs to transmit information about downhole conditions and orientation in real time, without interrupting the drilling operation. ...

Further Reading

• Clark, T. D. G. and E. Clarke, 2001. Space weather services for the offshore drilling industry. In Space Weather Workshop: Looking Towards a Future European Space Weather Programme. ESTEC, ESA WPP-194.
• Reay, S. J., W. Allen, O. Baillie, J. Bowe, E. Clarke, V. Lesur, S. Macmillan, 2005. Space weather effects on drilling accuracy in the North Sea. Annales Geophysicae, Vol. 23, pp 3081-3088.
• Odenwald, S. 2006, "The 23rd Cycle;Learning to live with a stormy star", Columbia University Press, (http://www.astronomycafe.net/weather.html)

Links

• British Geological Survey's Geomagnetism Applications and Services site
• Finnish Meteorological Institute's ground effects site
• Australian Space Weather Agency's site about effects on aeromagnetic surveys

See also

• Atmospheric physics
• Plasma physics
• Space exploration
• Sudden ionospheric disturbance
• Coronal Mass Ejection
• Geomagnetic storm

Atmospheric physics is the application of physics to the study of the atmosphere. ... A Plasma lamp In physics and chemistry, a plasma is an ionized gas, and is usually considered to be a distinct phase of matter. ... Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer space, both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft. ... A sudden ionospheric disturbance (SID) is an abnormally high plasma density in the ionosphere caused by an occasional sudden solar flare, which often interrupts or interferes with telecommunications systems. ... A composite image showing two CMEs (at 2 oclock and 8 oclock), with the sun at center. ... A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earths magnetosphere. ...

Notes

1. ^ Space Weather: A Research Perspective National Academy of Science, 1997
2. ^ Geomagnetic Storms Can Threaten Electric Power Grid Earth in Space, Vol. 9, No. 7, March 1997, pp.9-11 (American Geophysical Union)
3. ^ Space Weather and Satellite loss
4. ^ United polar flights Mike Stills
5. ^ 1972 Apollo Mission and SEP events (NASA)
6. ^ Nozomi Mars Probe hit by a large SEP event

Bibliography

• Rainer Schwenn, Space Weather, Living Reviews in Solar Physics 3, (2006), 2, online article.

External links

• NOAA-SEC Space Weather Now - (U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA])
• NSWP Strategic Plan - (NOAA)
• NSWP Implementation Plan - (NOAA)
• USGS Geomagnetism Program - (United States Geological Survey)
• Lund Space Weather Center - (Swedish Institute of Space Physics)
• The Human Impacts of Space Weather - A complete guide to all known impacts of space weather to technology, human health, and an extensive newspaper archive of reported impacts since 1840
• Spaceweather.com - Space Weather news, forecasts and pictures
• Storms from the Sun - popular science writing about the Sun and space weather effects
• Space Weather and Radio Propagation Live and historical data and images with a perspective on how it affects radio propagation.
• Space Weather forums at HFradio.org
• Solar Terrestrial Dispatch
• Active Region Monitor Live and archived solar region images and data.
• The Australian Space Weather Agency
• Latest Solar Events (Large bandwidth)
• Space Weather Canada
• Official Keepers of the Sunspot Record Royal Observatory of Belgium / SIDC.
• Official SOHO Web site Solar and Heliospheric Observatory] Solar and space weather images and data.
• Solar Region Maps
• Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment (LASCO) LASCO solar images and information.
• European Space Weather Portal
• Space Weather Center - Education site with information and interactives.
• HF Radio Propagation Software for Firefox - Propfire Firefox plug for monitoring radio propagation, website utility to display HF radio propagation status and article on understanding HF radio propagation forecasting

The following external link is designed for use by cell phones and mobile devices that can display content using Wireless Markup Language and the Wireless Application Protocol: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a scientific agency of the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere. ... InsertSLUTTY WHORES≤ non-formatted text here{| class=toccolours border=1 cellpadding=4 style=float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; width: 20em; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%; clear: right; |+ United States Geological Survey |- |style= align=center colspan=2| [[Image:USGS logo. ... The Swedish Institute of Space Physics or Institutet för rymdfysik (IRF) is a Swedish government agency. ... Radio propagation is a term used to explain how radio waves behave when they are transmitted, or are propagated from one point on the Earth to another. ... Cellular redirects here. ... A Handheld device (also known as handheld computer or simply handheld) is a pocket-sized computing device, typically utilising a small visual display screen for user output and a miniaturised keyboard for user input. ... Wireless Markup Language is the primary content format for devices that implement the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) specification based on XML, such as mobile phones. ... WAP is an open international standard for applications that use wireless communication. ...

• WAP/WML Space Weather Resources View live Space weather data and images, and more.