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NASA's Perseverance Rover Captures One Dust Devil Devouring Another
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover's navigation camera captured a Martian dust devil swallowing a smaller one. The smaller dust devil's demise was captured during an imaging experiment carried out by Perseverance's science team to better understand the dynamics at work in the Martian atmosphere. In the 1970s, NASA's Viking orbiters became the first spa...
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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Completes Second Close Flyby of the Sun at Record Speed
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed a close flyby of the Sun on March 22, travelling at 692,000 kilometres per hour and approaching within 6.1 million kilometres of the solar surface. The mission, designed to study solar winds and space weather, received a healthy signal back on March 25. The team, including NASA and Johns Hopkins APL experts, ha...
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Study Identifies Plasma Formation as a Pseudostreamer
ESA’s Solar Orbiter recorded a giant plasma structure extending millions of kilometres from the Sun’s surface. The footage, taken on October 12, 2022, shows a swirling motion in the solar wind, a phenomenon never observed before. Scientists identified the formation as a pseudostreamer caused by a solar flare near the Sun’s north pole. The pla...
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X-Class Solar Flare From Emerging Sunspot Causes Radio Blackouts
An unexpected X1.1-class solar flare erupted from sunspot AR4046, triggering shortwave radio blackouts over North and South America. The flare originated from the sun’s eastern limb and was accompanied by a coronal mass ejection that is not expected to impact Earth. Space weather experts have warned that the sunspot will face Earth in the coming ...
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Partial Solar Eclipse of March 2025: Satellite Images to Show Moon’s Shadow
A partial solar eclipse will take place on March 29, 2025, visible across parts of Europe, Africa, and North America. The event will reach its peak in Nunavik, Canada, where 94% of the sun will be covered at sunrise. From space, weather satellites like GOES-16 and Himawari will capture images of the moon’s shadow. The International Space Station ...
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NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather
NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The trio of small satellites will map auroral electrojets, powerful currents in Earth’s atmosphere linked to solar storms. Their data will enhance space weather prediction models and help understand planetary mag...
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Aditya-L1’s SUIT Telescope Captures First-Ever Solar Flare Kernel, Revealing Unseen Solar Activity
India’s Aditya-L1 mission has achieved a historic milestone with its Solar Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) capturing the first-ever solar flare kernel in the near-ultraviolet spectrum. This unprecedented observation confirms energy transfer across different layers of the Sun's atmosphere, advancing the understanding of solar flares and spac...
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Solar Storm to Trigger Northern Lights in US: Visibility, Timing & Impact
A solar storm is expected to reach Earth tonight, potentially creating auroras visible as far south as New York and Idaho. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of NOAA forecasts a G1-class geomagnetic storm, with a possibility of stronger G2 conditions. This may lead to disruptions in GPS and radio signals. The best time to witness the northe...
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NASA’s New Missions Will Map the Sun and the Cosmos
NASA is set to launch two major missions, PUNCH and SPHEREx, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base on March 2. PUNCH, a four-satellite system, will study the sun’s corona and space weather, while SPHEREx will create infrared maps of the cosmos to study galaxy evolution and cosmic history. These missions will contribute to a de...
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Solar Sail Satellites Could Enhance Space Weather Forecasting and Alerts
Solar sail satellites, harnessing sunlight for propulsion, are being developed to improve space weather forecasting. NOAA and NASA’s Solar Cruiser project aims to extend geomagnetic storm alert times by 50%, reducing risks to power grids, GPS, and air traffic. The new spacecraft, expected to launch in 2029, will move beyond traditional observatio...
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Tiny Plasma Jets on Sun Identified as Key Drivers of Solar Wind
Observations from ESA’s Solar Orbiter have revealed that tiny plasma jets, known as picoflares, are responsible for both the fast and slow components of the solar wind. The discovery challenges previous assumptions that different mechanisms drive these solar wind types. With further research, scientists hope to refine space weather predictions, p...
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May 2024 Solar Storm Triggers Unusual Radiation Belts, Raising Space Safety Concerns
A significant solar storm in May 2024 led to the creation of two temporary radiation belts, detected by the CIRBE satellite in June. One belt contained high-energy electrons, while the other was rich in protons, a rare occurrence. While the electron belt dissipated in three months, the proton-dominated belt remains, potentially affecting space miss...
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AMS Data Reveals Charged Particle Variations in Heliosphere Over Solar Cycle
Researchers analysing AMS data aboard the ISS have identified variations in charged particles within the heliosphere over an 11-year solar cycle. Shifts in the heliospheric magnetic field impact antiproton behaviour and cosmic nuclei fluxes, revealing correlations between solar modulation and cosmic ray movement. AMS measurements provide insights i...
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NASA’s PUNCH Mission Set to Track the Sun’s Corona and Solar Wind in 3D
NASA’s PUNCH mission, set for launch on Feb 27, will deploy four satellites to study the transition between the sun’s corona and the solar wind. The mission aims to improve understanding of space weather by capturing 3D images, helping predict solar storms with greater accuracy. The data will also complement NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, offerin...
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Massive Coronal Hole on Sun Sends High-Speed Solar Wind Toward Earth
A giant 800,000 km coronal hole on the Sun is unleashing high-speed solar wind toward Earth, potentially triggering a G1 geomagnetic storm on January 31 and February 1. The NOAA has issued a watch, predicting enhanced auroras in higher latitudes. While G1 storms are minor, they can impact satellites and power grids. The storm’s intensity remains ...
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NASA's Perseverance Rover Captures One Dust Devil Devouring Another
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover's navigation camera captured a Martian dust devil swallowing a smaller one. The smaller dust devil's demise was captured during an imaging experiment carried out by Perseverance's science team to better understand the dynamics at work in the Martian atmosphere. In the 1970s, NASA's Viking orbiters became the first spa...
-
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Completes Second Close Flyby of the Sun at Record Speed
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed a close flyby of the Sun on March 22, travelling at 692,000 kilometres per hour and approaching within 6.1 million kilometres of the solar surface. The mission, designed to study solar winds and space weather, received a healthy signal back on March 25. The team, including NASA and Johns Hopkins APL experts, ha...
-
Study Identifies Plasma Formation as a Pseudostreamer
ESA’s Solar Orbiter recorded a giant plasma structure extending millions of kilometres from the Sun’s surface. The footage, taken on October 12, 2022, shows a swirling motion in the solar wind, a phenomenon never observed before. Scientists identified the formation as a pseudostreamer caused by a solar flare near the Sun’s north pole. The pla...
-
X-Class Solar Flare From Emerging Sunspot Causes Radio Blackouts
An unexpected X1.1-class solar flare erupted from sunspot AR4046, triggering shortwave radio blackouts over North and South America. The flare originated from the sun’s eastern limb and was accompanied by a coronal mass ejection that is not expected to impact Earth. Space weather experts have warned that the sunspot will face Earth in the coming ...
-
Partial Solar Eclipse of March 2025: Satellite Images to Show Moon’s Shadow
A partial solar eclipse will take place on March 29, 2025, visible across parts of Europe, Africa, and North America. The event will reach its peak in Nunavik, Canada, where 94% of the sun will be covered at sunrise. From space, weather satellites like GOES-16 and Himawari will capture images of the moon’s shadow. The International Space Station ...
-
NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather
NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The trio of small satellites will map auroral electrojets, powerful currents in Earth’s atmosphere linked to solar storms. Their data will enhance space weather prediction models and help understand planetary mag...
-
Aditya-L1’s SUIT Telescope Captures First-Ever Solar Flare Kernel, Revealing Unseen Solar Activity
India’s Aditya-L1 mission has achieved a historic milestone with its Solar Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) capturing the first-ever solar flare kernel in the near-ultraviolet spectrum. This unprecedented observation confirms energy transfer across different layers of the Sun's atmosphere, advancing the understanding of solar flares and spac...
-
Solar Storm to Trigger Northern Lights in US: Visibility, Timing & Impact
A solar storm is expected to reach Earth tonight, potentially creating auroras visible as far south as New York and Idaho. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of NOAA forecasts a G1-class geomagnetic storm, with a possibility of stronger G2 conditions. This may lead to disruptions in GPS and radio signals. The best time to witness the northe...
-
NASA’s New Missions Will Map the Sun and the Cosmos
NASA is set to launch two major missions, PUNCH and SPHEREx, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base on March 2. PUNCH, a four-satellite system, will study the sun’s corona and space weather, while SPHEREx will create infrared maps of the cosmos to study galaxy evolution and cosmic history. These missions will contribute to a de...
-
Solar Sail Satellites Could Enhance Space Weather Forecasting and Alerts
Solar sail satellites, harnessing sunlight for propulsion, are being developed to improve space weather forecasting. NOAA and NASA’s Solar Cruiser project aims to extend geomagnetic storm alert times by 50%, reducing risks to power grids, GPS, and air traffic. The new spacecraft, expected to launch in 2029, will move beyond traditional observatio...
-
Tiny Plasma Jets on Sun Identified as Key Drivers of Solar Wind
Observations from ESA’s Solar Orbiter have revealed that tiny plasma jets, known as picoflares, are responsible for both the fast and slow components of the solar wind. The discovery challenges previous assumptions that different mechanisms drive these solar wind types. With further research, scientists hope to refine space weather predictions, p...
-
May 2024 Solar Storm Triggers Unusual Radiation Belts, Raising Space Safety Concerns
A significant solar storm in May 2024 led to the creation of two temporary radiation belts, detected by the CIRBE satellite in June. One belt contained high-energy electrons, while the other was rich in protons, a rare occurrence. While the electron belt dissipated in three months, the proton-dominated belt remains, potentially affecting space miss...
-
AMS Data Reveals Charged Particle Variations in Heliosphere Over Solar Cycle
Researchers analysing AMS data aboard the ISS have identified variations in charged particles within the heliosphere over an 11-year solar cycle. Shifts in the heliospheric magnetic field impact antiproton behaviour and cosmic nuclei fluxes, revealing correlations between solar modulation and cosmic ray movement. AMS measurements provide insights i...
-
NASA’s PUNCH Mission Set to Track the Sun’s Corona and Solar Wind in 3D
NASA’s PUNCH mission, set for launch on Feb 27, will deploy four satellites to study the transition between the sun’s corona and the solar wind. The mission aims to improve understanding of space weather by capturing 3D images, helping predict solar storms with greater accuracy. The data will also complement NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, offerin...
-
Massive Coronal Hole on Sun Sends High-Speed Solar Wind Toward Earth
A giant 800,000 km coronal hole on the Sun is unleashing high-speed solar wind toward Earth, potentially triggering a G1 geomagnetic storm on January 31 and February 1. The NOAA has issued a watch, predicting enhanced auroras in higher latitudes. While G1 storms are minor, they can impact satellites and power grids. The storm’s intensity remains ...
