LIVE SPACE-WEATHER PRIMER
Space weather today.
See the whole signal.
Solar WAVE combines the observations that change quickly with the context that makes them useful. Use this page to understand what each live reading means, then open the command center for the current data.
OPEN LIVE SPACE WEATHER →Start with what the Sun is doing.
GOES X-ray measurements reveal flare activity while SDO and SOHO imagery show active regions, filaments, coronal holes, and material moving away from the Sun. A dramatic image is evidence, but it is not an Earth-impact forecast by itself.
Read the conditions arriving at Earth.
Solar-wind speed, density, and the north-south IMF Bz orientation describe the flow passing the L1 monitoring point. Sustained negative Bz lets energy couple more efficiently into Earth’s magnetic environment.
Separate fast effects from slow arrivals.
Flare radiation reaches Earth in minutes and can cause a sunlit-side radio blackout. Energetic particles arrive later. A CME usually takes many hours or days and matters most when its direction, speed, density, and magnetic field favor strong coupling.
Translate indices into consequences.
NOAA R, S, and G scales describe radio blackouts, solar-radiation storms, and geomagnetic storms. Kp and aurora models add context for sky visibility and radio paths, while official alerts remain the source of record.
PLAIN-ENGLISH ANSWERS
What people ask next.
What is happening with the Sun today?
Start with the current GOES X-ray level, NOAA alerts, solar-wind speed, IMF Bz, and planetary Kp. Solar WAVE brings those readings together with current solar imagery and explains their likely Earth and radio effects.
Can a solar flare hit Earth?
A flare is radiation, not a traveling cloud. Its X-rays reach Earth at light speed and can disrupt the sunlit ionosphere. A separate coronal mass ejection may or may not be directed toward Earth.
What does Kp measure?
Kp summarizes disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field on a 0–9 scale. Higher values can mean expanded aurora, degraded polar radio paths, and stronger geomagnetic effects.