Near-Earth Space Weather Today

Radiation belts

This is an artist's conception of the Earth and the inner and outer radiation belts that surround it.

Variations in space weather affect Earth's upper atmosphere (mesosphere, thermosphere, and ionosphere). Space weather also impacts the radiation environment in near-Earth space (magnetosphere, plasmasphere, and radiation belts). Check out the links below to find out about current (or the most recent) space weather conditions in near-Earth space and the upper atmosphere.



Space Weather

Space Weather Today

Last modified September 1, 2010 by Randy Russell.

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Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

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The Thermosphere

The thermosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. The thermosphere is directly above the mesosphere and below the exosphere. It extends from about 90 km (56 miles) to between 500 and 1,000 km (311 to...more

Radiation

Radiation comes in two basic types: electromagnetic radiation transmitted by photons, and particle radiation consisting of electrons, protons, alpha particles, and so forth. Electromagnetic radiation,...more

The Earth's Magnetosphere

The Earth has a magnetic field with north and south poles. The magnetic field of the Earth is enclosed in a region surrounding the Earth called the magnetosphere. As the Earth rotates, its hot core generates...more

The Earth's Plasmasphere

The plasmasphere is a torus-shaped region within the Earth's magnetosphere. The Earth's plasmasphere is made of just that - plasma. It has a very sharp edge called the plasmapause at equatorial distances...more

Radiation Belts

The Earth's radiation belts are one component of the larger and more complex system called the magnetosphere. The radiation belts of the Earth are made up of energetic, electrically charged particles or...more

Projects - for Science Fairs & Beyond

Interested in doing a project related to space weather for a science fair? The Stanford SOLAR Center provides information about space weather monitors that you can build yourself, including the Sudden...more

Space Weather throughout the Solar System

The Sun is surrounded by a "bubble" in space called the heliosphere. In a sense, we Earthlings live within the outer atmosphere of our Sun. The solar wind fills the heliosphere with energetic...more

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