Space Weather Phenomena | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center Skip to main content NOAA Logo NWS Logo Organizations Space Weather Prediction Center National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Tuesday, January 09, 2024 17:52:08 UTC Main menu Home About Space WeatherImpactsEarth's Climate Electric Power Transmission GPS Systems HF Radio Communications Satellite Communications Satellite Drag Partners and StakeholdersCommercial Service Providers Federal Agencies International Organizations International Service Providers Space Weather Research PhenomenaAurora Coronal Holes Coronal Mass Ejections Earth's Magnetosphere F10.7 cm Radio Emissions Galactic Cosmic Rays Geomagnetic Storms Ionosphere Ionospheric Scintillation Radiation Belts Solar EUV Irradiance Solar Flares (Radio Blackouts) Solar Radiation Storm Solar Wind Sunspots/Solar Cycle Total Electron Content Additional InfoNOAA Space Weather Scales Customer Needs & Requirements Study Products and DataForecasts27-Day Outlook of 10.7 cm Radio Flux and Geomagnetic Indices 3-Day Forecast 3-Day Geomagnetic Forecast Forecast Discussion Predicted Sunspot Numbers and Radio Flux Report and Forecast of Solar and Geophysical Activity Solar Cycle Progression Space Weather Advisory Outlook USAF 45-Day Ap and F10.7cm Flux Forecast Weekly Highlights and 27-Day Forecast ReportsForecast Verification Geoalert - Alerts, Analysis and Forecast Codes Geophysical Alert Solar and Geophysical Event Reports USAF Magnetometer Analysis Report ModelsAurora - 30 Minute Forecast CTIPe Total Electron Content Forecast D Region Absorption Predictions (D-RAP) Geoelectric Field Models (US Canada 1D & 3D EMTF CONUS) Geospace Geomagnetic Activity Plot Geospace Ground Magnetic Perturbation Maps Geospace Magnetosphere Movies North American (US Region) Total Electron Content North American Total Electron Content Relativistic Electron Forecast Model SEAESRT STORM Time Empirical Ionospheric Correction WSA-Enlil Solar Wind Prediction WAM-IPE ObservationsBoulder Magnetometer GOES Electron Flux GOES Magnetometer GOES Proton Flux GOES Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) GOES X-ray Flux LASCO Coronagraph Planetary K-index Real Time Solar Wind Satellite Environment Solar Synoptic Map Space Weather Overview Station K and A Indices SummariesSolar & Geophysical Activity Summary Solar Region Summary Summary of Space Weather Observations Alerts, Watches and WarningsAlerts, Watches and Warnings Notifications Timeline ExperimentalACE Real-Time Solar Wind Aurora Viewline for Tonight and Tomorrow Night International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Space Weather Advisory Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) Data Access DashboardsAurora Aviation Electric Power Emergency Management Global Positioning System Radio Satellites Space Weather Enthusiasts Media and ResourcesEducation and Outreach Glossary News Archive Newsroom Subscribe Annual Meeting Feedback HomeAbout Space WeatherSpace Weather Phenomena Search form Search using USASearch NOAA Scales mini https://services.swpc.noaa.gov Space Weather Conditions on NOAA Scales 24-Hour Observed Maximums R none S none G none Latest Observed R none S none G none Predicted 2024-01-09 UTC R1-R2 45% R3-R5 10% S1 or greater 10% G none Predicted 2024-01-10 UTC R1-R2 45% R3-R5 10% S1 or greater 10% G none Predicted 2024-01-11 UTC R1-R2 45% R3-R5 10% S1 or greater 10% G none 1234PrevNext R none S none G none Current Space Weather Conditions on NOAA Scales R1 (Minor) Radio Blackout Impacts HF Radio: Weak or minor degradation of HF radio communication on sunlit side, occasional loss of radio contact. Navigation: Low-frequency navigation signals degraded for brief intervals. More about the NOAA Space Weather Scales Space Weather Phenomena About Space Weather Phenomena Space Weather describes the variations in the space environment between the sun and Earth. In particular Space Weather describes the phenomena that impact systems and technologies in orbit and on Earth. Space weather can occur anywhere from the surface of the sun to the surface of Earth. As a space weather storm leaves the sun, it passes through the corona and into the solar wind. When it reaches Earth, it energizes Earth’s magnetosphere and accelerates electrons and protons down to Earth’s magnetic field lines where they collide with the atmosphere and ionosphere, particularly at high latitudes. Each component of space weather impacts a different technology. A description of some of the space weather impacts can be found at Space Weather Impacts. AuroraThe Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) are the result of electrons colliding with the upper reaches of Earth’ Coronal HolesCoronal holes appear as dark areas in the solar corona in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft x-ray solar images. Coronal Mass EjectionsCoronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona. Earth's magnetosphereThe magnetosphere is the region of space surrounding Earth where the dominant magnetic field is the magnetic field of Earth, rather than the magnet F10.7 cm Radio EmissionsThe solar radio flux at 10.7 cm (2800 MHz) is an excellent indicator of solar activity. Galactic Cosmic RaysGalactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) are the slowly varying, highly energetic background source of energetic particles that constantly bombard Earth. Geomagnetic StormsGeomagnetic storms are fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field, caused by changes in the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. IonosphereThe Ionosphere, between 80 and ~600 km in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, is where solar radiation caused ionization creates a layer of electrons that can effect earth systems. Ionospheric ScintillationIonospheric scintillation is the rapid modification of radio waves caused by small scale structures in the ionosphere. Radiation BeltsRadiation belts are regions of enhanced populations of energetic electrons and protons surrounding the Earth in space. Solar EUV IrradianceSolar Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) is solar radiation that covers the wavelengths 10 – 120 nm of the electromagnetic spectrum. Solar Flares (Radio Blackouts)Solar flares are large eruptions of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun lasting from minutes to hours. Solar Radiation StormSolar radiation storms occur when a large-scale magnetic eruption, often causing a Solar WindThe solar wind continuously flows outward from the Sun and consists mainly of protons and electrons in a state known as a plasma. Sunspots/Solar CycleSunspots are dark areas that become apparent at the Sun’s photosphere as a result of intense magnetic flux pushing up from further within the solar Total Electron ContentThe Total Electron Content (TEC) is the total number of electrons present along a path between a radio transmitter and receiver. What's that bright spot in the Coronal Mass Ejections Image?What are those bright spots that appear in the CME Image, people often ask. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service National Centers for Environmental Prediction Space Weather Prediction Center 325 Broadway, Boulder CO 80305 Disclaimer Privacy Policy About NOAA's National Weather Service Careers in Weather Large Footer Menu Home About Space WeatherImpactsEarth's Climate Electric Power Transmission GPS Systems HF Radio Communications Satellite Communications Satellite Drag Partners and StakeholdersCommercial Service Providers Federal Agencies International Organizations International Service Providers Space Weather Research PhenomenaAurora Coronal Holes Coronal Mass Ejections Earth's Magnetosphere F10.7 cm Radio Emissions Galactic Cosmic Rays Geomagnetic Storms Ionosphere Ionospheric Scintillation Radiation Belts Solar EUV Irradiance Solar Flares (Radio Blackouts) Solar Radiation Storm Solar Wind Sunspots/Solar Cycle Total Electron Content Additional InfoNOAA Space Weather Scales Customer Needs & Requirements Study Products and DataForecasts27-Day Outlook of 10.7 cm Radio Flux and Geomagnetic Indices 3-Day Forecast 3-Day Geomagnetic Forecast Forecast Discussion Predicted Sunspot Numbers and Radio Flux Report and Forecast of Solar and Geophysical Activity Solar Cycle Progression Space Weather Advisory Outlook USAF 45-Day Ap and F10.7cm Flux Forecast Weekly Highlights and 27-Day Forecast ReportsForecast Verification Geoalert - Alerts, Analysis and Forecast Codes Geophysical Alert Solar and Geophysical Event Reports USAF Magnetometer Analysis Report ModelsAurora - 30 Minute Forecast CTIPe Total Electron Content Forecast D Region Absorption Predictions (D-RAP) Geoelectric Field Models (US Canada 1D & 3D EMTF CONUS) Geospace Geomagnetic Activity Plot Geospace Ground Magnetic Perturbation Maps Geospace Magnetosphere Movies North American (US Region) Total Electron Content North American Total Electron Content Relativistic Electron Forecast Model SEAESRT STORM Time Empirical Ionospheric Correction WSA-Enlil Solar Wind Prediction WAM-IPE ObservationsBoulder Magnetometer GOES Electron Flux GOES Magnetometer GOES Proton Flux GOES Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) GOES X-ray Flux LASCO Coronagraph Planetary K-index Real Time Solar Wind Satellite Environment Solar Synoptic Map Space Weather Overview Station K and A Indices SummariesSolar & Geophysical Activity Summary Solar Region Summary Summary of Space Weather Observations Alerts, Watches and WarningsAlerts, Watches and Warnings Notifications Timeline ExperimentalACE Real-Time Solar Wind Aurora Viewline for Tonight and Tomorrow Night International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Space Weather Advisory Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) Data Access DashboardsAurora Aviation Electric Power Emergency Management Global Positioning System Radio Satellites Space Weather Enthusiasts Media and ResourcesEducation and Outreach Glossary News Archive Newsroom Subscribe Annual Meeting Feedback