WHAT IS SPACE WEATHER?
Our Sun is a really active star. It does all sorts of things that
send out energy and tiny particles. These things are called solar
flares and coronal mass ejections. When these happen, they create
what we call "Space Weather." This is all about how the space around
Earth changes because of the energy and particles from the Sun. This
can affect our planet and the things we use in our daily lives.
So, what are the effects of this space weather? Well, it can
cause problems like satellites going wonky, issues with communication
and navigation in airplanes, and even dangers to astronauts in space.
Sometimes, satellites can even get pulled back to Earth because of
the changes in space. Plus, big space storms from the Sun can mess
with our electrical power at home and work. So, understanding space
weather is really important.
But wait, how can there be "weather" in space? After all, space
is mostly empty, like a super-duper vacuum. Earth's air is way
thicker than space. For example, if you're near sea level on Earth,
there are a whole lot of air molecules in every tiny bit of space -
about 2 followed by 19 zeroes of them! That's like 1.2 kilograms of
air in each cubic meter. But when you get far above our planet, like
500 kilometers (300 miles), it's really, really thin up there, with
hardly any air. The solar wind, which is the stuff coming from the
Sun, only has 1 to 10 particles in each cubic centimeter as it passes
by Earth. So, it's super different from the air we breathe on Earth.
Schumann Resonance
>
alt="quality factors
Dependences of the quality factors of the Schumann resonance on local time.
Local time is expressed in hours of Tomsk Daylight Saving Time (TLDV). TLDV=UTC+7hours.">
alt="Critical frequencies Dependences of the critical frequencies of the ionosphere on local time.
Local time is expressed in hours of Tomsk Daylight Saving Time (TLDV). TLDV=UTC+7hours.">
alt="Critical frequencies without sporadic layers
Dependences of the critical frequencies of the ionosphere on local time.
Local time is expressed in hours of Tomsk Daylight Saving Time (TLDV). TLDV=UTC+7hours.">
Raw data provided by the National Geophysical Data Center NGDC.
On a 9-point scale, an estimate of the foF2 parameter
of the world base is given in terms of the volume and homogeneity of data
in a number of experimental values for each ionospheric station.
The critical frequency of the F2 layer of the ionosphere (foF2)
controlled by local time, latitude, solar and magnetic activity, atmospheric
wind in the lower atmosphere, and other factors [18,19,20] is one of the most
important
ionospheric parameters and it is used to understand the ionospheric dynamics and
structure.
Based on the degree of database filling, the total number of
stations (224 pieces)
represents 9 groups with a radius proportional to the degree of filling
In the 1st group there are 8 stations, the 2nd - 10 stations, the 3rd - 11,
the 4th - 12, the 5th - 14, in the 6th - 18, the 7th - 22, the 8th - 34,
and in the 9th group - 95 stations.
AIA 304 Å - Solar Region: Transition Region_Chromosphere
Emitted by helium-2 (He II) at temperatures around 50,000 Kelvin.
This light is emitted from the chromosphere and transition region.
SDO images of this wavelength are typically colorized in red.
Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard
AIA 131 Å - Solar Region: Corona_Flaring Regions
Emitted by iron-20 (Fe XX) and iron-23 (Fe XXIII)
At temperatures greater than 10,000,000 Kelvin,
representing the material in flares.
The images are typically colorized in teal.
Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard
AIA 193 Å - Solar Region: Corona_Flare Plasma
Emitted by iron-12 (Fe XII) at 1,000,000 K and iron 24 (Fe XXIV)
At temperatures of 20,000,000 Kelvin.
The former, Iron-20 represents a slightly hotter region of the corona
The latter, iron-16 represents the much hotter material of a solar flare.
This wavelength is typically colorized in light brown.
Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard
AIA 335 Å - Solar Region: Corona_Active Regions
Emitted by iron-16 (Fe XVI)
At temperatures of 2,500,000 Kelvin.
These images also show hotter, magnetically active regions in the corona.
This wavelength is typically colorized in blue.
Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard
AIA 171 Å - Solar Region: Upper Transition Region_Quiet Corona
Emitted by iron-9 (Fe IX) at around 600,000 Kelvin.
This wavelength shows the quiet corona and coronal loops
and is typically colorized in gold.
Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard
AIA 094 Å - Solar Region: Corona_Flaring Regions
Emitted by iron-18 (Fe XVIII)
At temperatures of 6,000,000 Kelvin.
Temperatures like this represent regions of the corona during a solar flare.
The images are typically colorized in green.
Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard
AIA 211 Å - Solar Region: Corona_Active Regions
Emitted by iron-14 (Fe XIV)
At temperatures of 2,000,000 Kelvin.
These images show hotter, magnetically active regions in the sun's corona
The images are typically colorized in purple.
Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard
AIA 1600 Å - Solar Region: Upper Photosphere_Transition Region
Emitted by carbon-4 (C IV)
At temperatures of between 5,000 - 10,000 Kelvin.
Carbon-4 at these temperatures is present in the upper photosphere and what's called the
transition region,
A region between the chromosphere and the upper most layer of the sun's atmosphere
called the corona.
The transition region is where the temperature rapidly rises.
SDO images of this wavelength are typically colorized in dark, grainy yellow.
Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard
AIA 1700 Å - Solar Region: Photosphere_Chromosphere
Ultraviolet light continuum, shows the surface of the sun,
as well as a layer of the sun's atmosphere called the chromosphere,
which lies just above the photosphere and is where the temperature begins rising.
SDO images of this wavelength are typically colorized in a grainy pink.
Temperatures: 4,500-5,000 Kelvin.
Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard
AIA 4500 Å - Solar Region: Photosphere
White light continuum, shows the sun's surface or photosphere in visible light;
Continuums provide photographs of the solar surface, incorporating a broad range of
visible light
in the temperature range of 5,000-6,000 Kelvin and appears in bright yellow.
Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard
