You don’t have to be an astrophysicist, astronaut, or meteorologist to appreciate the weather - in space.

“Space Weather” is the conceptual science of changing environmental conditions in the vastness of space. It’s a profound area of study in fact and no, you don’t have to hold a Ph. D in order to meaningfully pursue this venture. In fact, simply searching the web, doing some reading at the local library, and perhaps if you are so inclined – investing in a decent telescope, can open the door to examining the heavens from a weather-point-of-view.

Unlike weather that we experience here on earth, weather in space is distinct because it deals with changes and interactions of heat, radiation, light, and matter - outside of the influence of an atmosphere, although occurring within interplanetary and interstellar space, as we know it.

From the National Academy of Science – “space weather is defined specifically as conditions in space that affect Earth and its technological systems; it is a consequence of the behavior of the sun, the nature of the Earth’s magnetic field and location in our solar system.”

This is fascinating stuff! Elements like solar wind – its velocity and density, the interplanetary magnetic field, and the influence of geomagnetic storms are active space weather components amongst many, many others. It’s their collaboration that makes things happen in space – similar to weather here on Earth requiring certain ingredients for a thunderstorm, a tornado, strong winds, the formation of hail, snow, rain…

The beauty about active weather, both on Earth and in space is that it can be observed. Amateur, hobbyist, and expert astronomers alike have viewed celestial weather phenomenon vista via telescopes, an immensely powerful tool. You may ask however - what space weather can bee seen with the naked eye? How about the aurora borealis? (Mind you, one must be situated in the Northern hemisphere, looking at the north sky…ah to be so lucky…) Moreover, the Earth is constantly immersed in solar wind (there’s a space weather catch phrase for sure!), a rarefied flow of hot plasma (gas of free electrons and positive ions) emitted by the sun in all directions, a result of the million-degree heat of the sun's outermost layer, the solar corona.

The Earth’s magnetosphere is the space region dominated by its magnetic field. It forms an obstacle in the path of the solar wind, causing it to be diverted around it, at a distance of about 70,000 km. When the solar wind is unstable or in flux, it easily transfers energy and material into the magnetosphere. The electrons and ions in the magnetosphere that are thus energized move along the magnetic field lines to the polar regions of the atmosphere and cause the aurora – hence one of nature’s most beautiful and awe-provoking phenomena is unleashed in all of it’s glory, for all of us to enjoy. That’s active space weather at its best in my book!

One thing ties both space weather and our weather here on Earth together – the sun. It’s immense thermal and radiation-creating power drives the engine of both mechanisms. Think of the sun as the ultimate generator of power in our solar system. Measuring its surface and core temperature, along with collecting data regarding its energy conduction and emissions – the physical dynamics of which occurring over time, is an involved menagerie of the sciences. But, as stated before, knowing that it’s a primary source of the weather, on all fronts, is the foundation upon which the enlightenment, the investigation can take form, both here on Earth and in the heavens beyond…

If you are interested check out this site for starters:

A Cool Solar Mystery

Enjoy!