15.4 Space weather  (Page 6/20)

Whatever the effects of solar activity may be on local rainfall or temperature patterns, we want to emphasize one important idea: Our climate change data and the models developed to account for the data consistently show that solar variability is not the cause of the global warming that has occurred during the past 50 years.

Key concepts and summary

Space weather is the effect of solar activity on our own planet, both in our magnetosphere and on Earth’s surface. Coronal holes allow more of the Sun’s material to flow out into space. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections can cause auroras, disrupt communications, damage satellites, and cause power outages on Earth.

For further exploration

Articles

Berman, B. “How Solar Storms Could Shut Down Earth.” Astronomy (September 2013): 22. Up-to-date review of how events on the Sun can hurt our civilization.

Frank, A. “Blowin’ in the Solar Wind.” Astronomy (October 1998): 60. On results from the SOHO spacecraft.

Holman, G. “The Mysterious Origins of Solar Flares.” Scientific American (April 2006): 38. New ideas involving magnetic reconnection and new observations of flares.

James, C. “Solar Forecast: Storm Ahead.” Sky&Telescope (July 2007): 24. Nice review on the effects of the Sun’s outbursts and on Earth and how we monitor “space weather.”

Schaefer, B. “Sunspots That Changed the World.” Sky&Telescope (April 1997): 34. Historical events connected with sunspots and solar activity.

Schrijver, C. and Title, A. “Today’s Science of the Sun.” Sky&Telescope (February 2001): 34; (March 2001): 34. Excellent reviews of recent results about the solar atmosphere.

Wadhwa, M. “Order from Chaos: Genesis Samples the Solar Wind.” Astronomy (October 2013): 54. On a satellite that returned samples of the Sun’s wind.

Websites

Dr. Sten Odenwald’s “Solar Storms” site: http://www.solarstorms.org/.

ESA/NASA’s Solar&Heliospheric Observatory: http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov. A satellite mission with a rich website to explore.

High Altitude Observatory Introduction to the Sun: http://www.hao.ucar.edu/education/basic.php. For beginners.

NASA’s Solar Missions: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/missions/index.html. Good summary of the many satellites and missions NASA has.

NOAA Profile of Space Weather: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/u33/primer_2010_new.pdf. A primer.

NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center Information Pages: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/education-and-outreach. Includes primers, videos, a curriculum and training modules.

Nova Sun Lab: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/labs/lab/sun/. Videos, scientist profiles, a research challenge related to the active Sun from the PBS science program.

Space Weather: Storms on the Sun: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/u33/swx_booklet.pdf. An illustrated booklet from NOAA.

Stanford Solar Center: http://solar-center.stanford.edu/. An excellent site with information for students and teachers.

Apps

These can tell you and your students more about what’s happening on the Sun in real time.