APEIRA ASTRA

SOLAR STORMS

LIVE OBSERVATORY / HELIOPHYSICS

WEATHER
FROM A STAR.

The Sun is not quiet. Magnetic fields twist, active regions flare, and immense clouds of plasma sometimes cross the space between us.

CONNECTING TO NOAA + NASA
LIVE NOAA REGIONS
EARTH-FACING · NORTH UP
PROCEDURAL SURFACE · OBSERVED MARKER POSITIONS · SIZE AMPLIFIED
BUILDING LIVE SOLAR MAP…
AWAITING NOAA ACTIVE-REGION REPORT Drag to rotate · scroll to zoom · select a marker for details

01 / THE SUN NOW

The conditions that matter now.

UPDATING…

OVERALL CONDITIONCONNECTINGWaiting for live measurements
G0 GEOMAGNETICR0 RADIOS0 RADIATION

ACTIVE REGIONS / SPOTS

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Loading the Earth-facing region report

NOAA SWPC

SOLAR WIND SPEED

— km/s

Loading upstream measurements

NOAA SWPC · L1

IMF Bz · GSM

— nT

Loading the north–south magnetic field

NOAA SWPC · L1

SOLAR-WIND DENSITY

— p/cm³

Loading upstream plasma density

NOAA SWPC · L1

PLANETARY Kp ESTIMATE

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Loading geomagnetic conditions

NOAA SWPC

GOES X-RAY FLUX

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Loading flare intensity

NOAA SWPC · GOES

≥10 MeV PROTONS

— pfu

Loading radiation measurement

NOAA SWPC · GOES

CMEs · LAST 7 DAYS

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Loading NASA event analysis

NASA DONKI

READ THIS FIRST

These measurements describe different parts of the Sun–Earth system. A high sunspot number does not by itself mean a storm is coming. Earth effects depend on an eruption's direction, speed, magnetic orientation, and the conditions it meets in space.

02 / OUTLOOK

What may reach Earth next.

Observations say what is happening now. Forecasts describe what NOAA expects and must always be read as forecasts—not guarantees.

OVATION 30–90 MINUTE OUTLOOK

Aurora is the visible edge of space weather.

NOAA’s operational aurora forecast uses the solar wind and magnetic field measured upstream at L1. Darkness, weather, and a clear horizon still matter where you are.

VIEW THE LIVE AURORA FORECAST ↗ MODEL OUTPUT · NOT A GUARANTEE OF VISIBILITY

03 / SEE THE SUN

Observed light, not a rendered surface.

These are the latest available near-real-time NASA SDO browse images. They update roughly every fifteen minutes; each channel reveals a different solar layer.

Latest NASA SDO HMI visible-light image of the SunHMI CONTINUUM · SUNSPOTS

Courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams. Browse imagery is for context and education; the NOAA values above are the page’s operational measurements.

OPEN NASA SDO DATA ↗

04 / ACTIVE REGIONS

Where the spots are.

Positions, spot counts, magnetic classes, and flare probabilities come from NOAA’s latest solar-region report. Select any row or marker.

EARTH-FACING REGIONSLIVE OBSERVATION
Receiving NOAA region positions…

05 / ACTIVITY LOG

What has left the Sun?

NASA records observed coronal mass ejections, then adds modeled properties as analysis becomes available.

RECENT CME ANALYSESOBSERVED + MODELED
Receiving NASA DONKI events…

06 / FIELD GUIDE

Four things people often mix up.

01

Sunspot

A darker, cooler-looking patch in the visible photosphere where concentrated magnetic fields suppress convection. Active regions around sunspots can produce flares and CMEs.

MAGNETIC REGION
02

Solar flare

A rapid release of electromagnetic radiation from the solar atmosphere. Its light and X-rays reach Earth in about eight minutes and can disrupt radio communication.

RADIATION · MINUTES
03

Coronal mass ejection

A large eruption of magnetized plasma from the corona. If aimed toward Earth, the disturbance commonly takes roughly one to three days to arrive.

PLASMA · DAYS
04

Geomagnetic storm

A disturbance of Earth's magnetic environment caused by sustained coupling with the solar wind. It can intensify aurora and affect satellites, navigation, radio, and power systems.

EARTH RESPONSE
LIGHT + X-RAYSabout 8 min 20 sec
EARTH-DIRECTED CMEoften 1–3 days

07 / WHY IT MATTERS

Aurora is only the visible edge.

Space weather is beautiful, but it is also operational science. Forecasts help spacecraft operators, aviators, radio users, navigators, and electric-grid managers prepare for changing conditions.

01AURORA

Storm-driven particles brighten the upper atmosphere and can push aurora toward lower latitudes.

02RADIO + GNSS

Ionospheric changes can degrade high-frequency radio and satellite-navigation accuracy.

03SPACECRAFT

Radiation and atmospheric expansion can affect electronics, sensors, orientation, and orbital drag.

04POWER SYSTEMS

Rapid magnetic changes can induce currents in long conductors, including transmission networks.

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