Space Weather

Space weather describes changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space. Magnetic fields, radiation, particles and matter, which have been ejected from the Sun, can interact with the Earth’s upper atmosphere and surrounding magnetic field to produce a  variety of effects.

Image courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams

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Aurora forecasts

Northern Hemisphere

No significant enhancements to the auroral oval are expected until at least 21 July. Minor enhancements are then possible, but with little chance of visible aurora at most latitudes, due to the absence of sufficiently dark skies at this time of year.

Southern Hemisphere

No significant enhancements to the auroral oval are expected until at least 21 July when a high-speed stream (CH79/-) may become geo-effective. Minor enhancements are then possible, but with little chance of visible aurora at most magnetic latitudes away from the Antarctic continent.

Issued at: 13:57 (GMT) on Sat 18 Jul 2026

Forecast overview

Space Weather Forecast Headline: Increasing Chance of Moderate solar activity.

Analysis of Space Weather Activity over past 24 hours

Solar Activity: Low only occasional low-level Common-class flares observed. There are two sunspot regions visible on the solar disc. Both regions, located in the southeast disc, are magnetically simple regions. Two small regions previously present on the disc decayed during the period.

No Earth-directed CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections) were observed in the past 24 hours. 

Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: Solar winds remained at Background, decreasing from around 370-390km/s initially, then reducing to 330km/s by the end of the period. Total Interplanetary Magnetic Field was Weak. The north-south component was also Weak and variable in direction. Geomagnetic activity was Quiet.

Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: The count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) was at Background levels. 

Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary

Solar Activity: Low activity is expected to continue, with a Slight Chance of isolated Moderate flares. The flare risk increases slightly through the period as at least one new region rotates onto the visible disc.

Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: There are no CMEs in the forecast. Solar winds are expected to remain at or near Background through much of the period, with chance for a a coronal hole fast-wind enhancement to take place on Day 4 (21 July).

Geomagnetic activity is forecast to be mainly Quiet, with an increasing chance of Unsettled or Active intervals on Day 4 (21 July).

Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: The count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) is expected to remain at background levels.

Issued at: 12:26 (GMT) on Sat 18 Jul 2026

Solar imagery

SDO AIA-193

This channel highlights the outer atmosphere of the Sun - called the corona - as well as hot flare plasma. Hot active regions, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections will appear bright here. The dark areas - called coronal holes - are places where very little radiation is emitted, yet are the main source of solar wind particles.

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SDO AIA-304

This channel is especially good at showing areas where cooler dense plumes of plasma (filaments and prominences) are located above the visible surface of the Sun. Many of these features either can't be seen or appear as dark lines in the other channels. The bright areas show places where the plasma has a high density.

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