Tag: Space Weather
-
Solar Storms and Solar Wind: How Particles from the Sun Interact with Earth
What are solar wind and solar storms? Every day, Earth experiences weather—wind, rain, and storms. But there’s also weather in space, driven by the Sun. Two key ideas scientists talk about are the solar wind and solar storms. The solar wind is a continuous stream of charged particles, mainly protons and electrons, that blow outward…
-
Solar Storms and Solar Wind: How Particles from the Sun Shape Life on Earth
What are solar wind and solar storms? Every day, Earth experiences weather in the sky—wind, clouds, rain. But there’s also weather in space, driven by the Sun. Two key phenomena in space weather are the solar wind and solar storms. The solar wind is a steady stream of charged particles—mostly protons and electrons—that flows continuously…
-
Solar storms and solar wind: How the Sun shapes space weather
What are solar wind and solar storms? Every day, Earth experiences weather—wind, rain, and storms. In space, there is also weather, created by the Sun. Two key players in space weather are the solar wind and solar storms. The solar wind is a constant, ever-present flow of charged particles blasting outward from the Sun. Solar…
-
How Solar Storms Could Endanger the First Astronauts on Mars
Overview: Why Mars Is a Radiation Challenge Solar storms, driven by the Sun’s activity, can unleash bursts of energetic particles that easily penetrate the thin Martian atmosphere and the planet’s weak magnetic shield. Unlike Earth, Mars lacks a global magnetic field and has a tenuous atmosphere, which means there is little natural protection for astronauts…
-
Solar storms threaten Mars astronauts: risks and protections
Introduction: Why Mars faces a unique radiation challenge Solar storms, driven by the Sun’s activity, pose a serious and sometimes underestimated threat to future crewed missions to Mars. Unlike Earth, Mars lacks a global magnetic field and a thick atmosphere to shield its surface. The result is an increased exposure to energetic solar particles and…
-
How Solar Storms Could Threaten the First Astronauts on Mars
Introduction: A Hidden Hazard on the Red Planet As humanity eyes crewed missions to Mars, a silent but formidable threat looms: solar storms. Driven by the Sun’s activity, these bursts of charged particles and radiation could expose astronauts on the Martian surface to levels far beyond what we experience on Earth. Unlike our planet, Mars…
-
Helio Highlights: The Sun and Our Lives
The Sun and Our Lives: Why This Matters On a clear night, thousands of stars glitter in the sky, but during the day there is one constant: the Sun. Its proximity—about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers)—makes it not only the nearest star but also the energy engine that powers life on Earth. Astronomers measure…
-
High-Fidelity Fluxgate Cores Enable Next-Gen Space Magnetometers
Revolutionizing Space Weather Sensing A NASA-sponsored team at the University of Iowa is reviving and advancing a critical capability in magnetic field measurements that underpin space weather research. By developing high-fidelity fluxgate cores in-house, the UI team is restoring a national capability to probe magnetic disturbances that can disrupt communications, navigation, and power grids on…
-
High-Fidelity Fluxgate Cores Power Space Missions Worldwide
A NASA-Sponsored Effort Revives a Critical Space Instrument Under a NASA-sponsored program, a University of Iowa (UI) team is restoring and advancing the nation’s ability to measure magnetic fields with high fidelity. These measurements are essential for understanding space weather and its potential to disrupt Earth-based communications, power grids, and spacecraft operations. At the heart…
-
High-Fidelity Fluxgate Cores Boost Space Missions
High-Fidelity Fluxgate Cores: Restoring a Critical Edge for Space Weather A NASA-sponsored team at the University of Iowa is reviving and advancing the nation’s capability to perform high-fidelity magnetic field measurements essential for studying space weather. By reimagining fluxgate magnetometers—devices that quantify magnetic fields in space—the researchers are replacing a legacy ferromagnetic core once developed…