The Cosmic and Heliospheric Learning Center was developed by NASA to increase the general public's interest in cosmic and heliospheric science. This expansive site discusses the basics of astrophysics including energetic particles and magnetic fields. Students can learn all about galactic and anomalous cosmic rays as well as solar winds and coronal holes. With the help of its handy astronomical...

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) of Japan have collaborated to make available the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) Science Initiative. The ISTP Science initiative has five primary objectives. For example, the initiative seeks to "determine structure and dynamics in...

Developed jointly by NASA and the University of California at Berkeley, this elegant site allows the general public to look at a number of truly astonishing images of the sun, as rendered from various telescopes and other image-capturing devices such as NASA's Image Spacecraft. On the main page, there are twelve different views (all updated daily). Visitors can zoom in and out around areas of...

Over the last few days, the Earth has been buffeted by a geomagnetic storm caused by a major solar flare. In addition to disruptions in radio, telecommunications, and electric service, the flare may also produce a dramatic light show as it peaks tonight. Weather permitting, the aurora borealis, or northern lights, may be visible as far south as Washington, D.C. The best viewing time will be local...

This new exhibit from the Exploratorium (last discussed in the August 6, 1999 Scout Report) is a content-rich examination of the upcoming "solar maximum." The year 2000, it is believed, will see the highest degree of sunspot activity for the current solar cycle. The result may be geomagnetic storms that disrupt power grids, radio broadcasts, and satellites, as well as unusually vibrant displays of...

This past week has offered much excitement for space weather scientists and enthusiasts, alike. On Friday July 14, a major flare shot off the surface of the sun, pummeling Earth with a massive solar-radiation storm that interfered with satellite and radio communications and delayed a Russian space launch. The flare was one of the most powerful of the current eleven-year solar cycle (and the...

The NOAA Space Weather Now website provides non-technical information and an assortment of images detailing current space weather. Visitors can find summaries describing auroras, plots of current auroral ovals on the poles, and viewing information for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Real-Time Solar Wind Pages furnish dynamic plots of data, geomagnetic activity test product information,...

At this NASA website, students and educators can find numerous materials on the changes in the activity of the sun. The site is divided into four topics: sunspotters, radio waves, magnetosphere, and auroral friends. Within each of these components, users can find fun and educational activities as well as information and data from observatories and satellites. For instance, in the Sunspotters link,...

One of three divisions within the Office of Space Science at NASA, the Sun-Earth Connection has the primary goal of understanding the Sun, Heliosphere, and planetary environments as a single connected system. The Web site offers visitors information on space science missions including the Living with a Star and Solar Terrestrial Probes mission. Meeting notes and official reports can be viewed...

In honor of the solar eclipse that occurred on February 26, 1998, The Exploratorium (discussed in the February 21, 1997 Scout Report) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum collaborated to produce this lesson on the effects that events on the sun have on the earth. The narrative focuses on coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which can have a...