Is there a geomagnetic storm going on right now?
No G1 (Minor) or greater geomagnetic storms are expected. No significant transient or recurrent solar wind features are forecast.
What is a space weather alert?
Warning: ;A Warning is issued when a significant space weather event is occurring, imminent or likely. A Warning is a short-term, high confidence prediction of imminent activity. The purpose of a Warning is notification of impending space weather activity with a lead-time of minutes to a few hours.
How do solar flares affect humans?
Although eruptions of energy from the sun can damage satellites, power infrastructure and radio communications, they do not harm people.
How long does it take for a solar flare to reach Earth?
about 8 minutes
The flash of light from a flare takes about 8 minutes to reach Earth; solar material expelled from the sun in a coronal mass ejection (CME) may take hours to days to travel the distance. Magnetic storms may be brief or last for many days.
What happen to the world in Finch?
A sun flare has wiped out the ozone layer and most human, animal, and plant life on Earth with devastating radiation. Now, even a few seconds in sunlight burns exposed skin. Finch, once an engineer and computer whiz, is a loner and a tinkerer by nature.
What would a G5 solar storm do?
G5 storms can cause widespread voltage control problems and result in grid systems experiencing complete collapse or blackouts.
Can a solar flare stop the Internet?
Satellites in orbit around Earth could be damaged by induced currents from the geomagnetic storm burning out their circuit boards. This would lead to disruptions in satellite-based telephone, internet, radio and television.
What are space weather alerts and warnings?
Alert: Alerts indicate that the observed conditions, highlighted by the warnings, have crossed a preset threshold or that a space weather event has already started. The NOAA Space Weather Scales report three categories of solar effects.
What is the Space Weather Prediction Center?
The SWPC draws on a variety of data sources, both space and ground-based, to provide forecasts, watches, warnings, alerts, and summaries as well as operational space weather products to civilian and commercial users. Sign up to receive email watches, warnings, alerts and more.
What is the purpose of a warning?
The purpose of a Warning is notification of impending space weather activity with a lead-time of minutes to a few hours. A Warning can be upgraded to a higher Warning if space weather conditions are expected to change sufficiently enough to warrant the upgrade.
Who is responsible for space weather prediction?
Space weather prediction services in the United States are provided primarily by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) and the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) 557th Weather Wing, which work closely together to address the needs of their civilian and military user communities.