Space Weather
Space weather is a relatively new field of science dedicated to the understanding of interactions between the sun and Earth, and to the forecasting of solar flares, geomagnetic storms, and other space-related phenomena.
Solar flares zap a science satellite. A coronal mass ejection sparks a stunning display of aurora borealis. Blazing meteors streak through Earth's atmosphere. All these are examples of space weather.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service (NWS) operate the Space Weather Prediction Center. The role of the center, based in Boulder, Colorado, is to provide space weather alerts and warnings to the nation for disturbances that can affect people and equipment working in space and on Earth.
Using NOAA's Space Weather Scales, emergency managers can anticipate space weather events in advance of their impact on earth.
The latest forecast including any space weather threat can be found on the Space Weather Prediction Center Website: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
The latest in Space Weather news: http://spaceweather.com/
- Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards Near Earth Object Program
- NASA's Near-Earth Object Program and Tracking
- The Torino Scale - The Torino Scale is a "Richter Scale" for categorizing the Earth impact hazard associated with newly discovered asteroids and comets. It is intended to serve as a communication tool for astronomers and the public to assess the seriousness of predictions of close encounters by asteroids and comets during the 21st century.
