Illustration of a burst of material leaving the Sun and traveling toward Earth, where the planet's magnetic field deflects it and auroras form near the poles.
Illustration: ZapTrend News. Not to scale.

Space weather, explained

How activity on the Sun reaches Earth, what it can disrupt, and how to read a storm forecast.

Start with the basics, then follow the questions that interest you most. We keep this guide current and add to it as new questions come up.

Start here

Questions we're working on

  • Can a solar storm knock out GPS?
  • Could a solar storm cause a blackout?
  • Why do auroras sometimes appear far from the poles?
  • How do forecasters know a storm is coming?