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.
Space weather notifications
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Aurora forecasts
Northern Hemisphere
Geomagnetic activity is expected to be predominantly at background, resulting in only limited opportunities for visible aurora. Any viewing prospects will be further constrained by the short hours of darkness at this time of year at suitable viewing latitudes.
Southern Hemisphere
Geomagnetic activity is expected to remain largely at background levels, with auroral visibility likely to be limited and largely confined to the Antarctic continent.
Issued at: 09:39 (GMT) on Sat 20 Jun 2026
Forecast overview
Space Weather Forecast Headline: No significant activity.
Analysis of Space Weather Activity over past 24 hours
Solar Activity: Solar activity has risen to Moderate due to an isolated Moderate class flare on the southeastern limb at 20/0151 UTC. This active region is currently assessed as a rather small and unipolar spot. This is followed by two active regions which have just passed over the limb. In the east, an active region produced isolated Common class flares and is showing some development of of the penumbra of its leading and trailing spots. The remaining three active regions are relatively small and stable.
An eruption was observed from the southeast solar disc 19/0230UTC. The subsequent Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) largely misses south and east, but close enough to Earth that it could give glancing impacts late on day 3 into early day 4 (22-23 Jun). No other Earth-directed CMEs have been observed.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: A weak enhancement was observed, likely due to the passing fast winds of a weak and narrow coronal hole. Solar wind speeds were initially Slightly Elevated to be mainly 400-420 km/s but has fallen to Background since 20/0800 UTC. Interplanetary Magnetic Field, Bt, was initially Moderate but has been Weak since 19/2000 UTC with the north-south component mainly Weak and variable in direction. Geomagnetic activity remained Quiet (Kp0-2).
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: The count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) was at Background with no solar radiation storms observed.
Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary
Solar Activity: Mainly Low activity is expected, with an increasing slight chance of rising to Moderate, mainly due to oncoming regions from over the eastern limb.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: No significant Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are expected, with only a minor glance possible from the 19 June southeast disc CME later on day 3 and into day 4 (23-24 Jun). Otherwise mainly slow wind conditions are expected, with Background speeds and no enhancements forecast. Geomagnetic activity is expected to be mainly Quiet, with an Unsettled to Active spell possible if any CME glance is observed.
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: The count rate of energetic particles (high energy protons) is expected to be at Background with no solar radiation storms occurring.
Issued at: 12:09 (GMT) on Sat 20 Jun 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.
Issued at:
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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