When solar storms pounded Earth during Halloween in 2003, scientists were eager to measure their effects. But new research shows one satellite was seeing "ghost" particles that probably weren't real.
solar activity
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Protecting Communications Satellites from Space Weather
A recent analysis of proprietary telecommunications data identifies a potential source of anomalous satellite component performance, and what can be done to prevent this from happening in the future.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
X Marks the Spot of Magnetic Islands in Space
At the edge of Earth's magnetic field, satellites have found X-shaped fields and fast-moving "islands" of magnetism that could shed light on the physics of solar storms.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
When the Sun Goes Quiet, Titan Gets Gassy
Observations from NASA's Cassini probe show that the level of methane in Titan's atmosphere depends on the Sun's 11-year cycle of magnetic activity.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
What Causes Sunspot Pairs?
Analysis of magnetic fields on the Sun's surface offers a new clue on why sunspots appear.
Posted inScience Updates
Changing of the Guard: Satellite Will Warn Earth of Solar Storms
This summer, Earth gets a new guardian—the Deep Space Climate Observatory—to help warn astronauts and operators of critical planetary infrastructure about the Sun's raging magnetic storms.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Radio Blackout! Ham Radio as an Operational and Scientific Instrument
Monitoring solar activity that disrupts communications can be helped by crowdsourced and automated reports from amateur radio operators.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Can Scientists Boost Solar Modeling Despite a Lack of Data?
Researchers show that a data processing technique could salvage useful information from raw solar observations, opening the door to improved understanding of the solar dynamo.
Posted inAGU News
Chigomezyo Mudala Ngwira Receives 2014 Science for Solutions Award
Chigomezyo Mudala Ngwira was awarded the 2014 Science for Solutions Award at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 17 December 2014 in San Francisco, Calif. The award is for “significant contributions in the application and use of Earth and space sciences to solve societal problems.”
Posted inScience Updates
Rapid Coordination Extends Space-Based Sun-Climate Record
Faced with the prospect of a large data gap in solar irradiance records, scientists take steps to ensure that this key climate variable stays monitored.