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

There is a chance of further auroral enhancements into the UTC working week due to a fast solar wind, although this will be at high geomagnetic latitudes and less extensive compared to the past UTC weekend. There is a falling chance of visibility from the north of Scotland and similar magnetic latitudes.

Southern Hemisphere

There is a chance of further auroral enhancements into the UTC working week due to a fast solar wind, although this will be at high geomagnetic latitudes and less extensive compared to the past UTC weekend. There is a falling chance of visibility from the far south of New Zealand and similar magnetic latitudes.

Issued at: 00:13 (GMT) on Mon 9 Nov 2026

Forecast overview

Space Weather Forecast Headline: Falling chance of further Minor geomagnetic storm G1. Further Minor radio blackouts (R1s) likely.

Analysis of Space Weather Activity over past 24 hours

Solar Activity: Activity was moderate, with occasional flares from the largest and most complex region on the facing side of the Sun near the middle of the disc. The peak of these flares reached low Moderate-class at 08/0746UTC.

There are currently four sunspot regions. The most significant and magnetically complex region remains centrally-located. This spot has significant magnetic complexity and mixed magnetic polarity maintained within its central portion - factors which lend themselves to higher activity. The remaining sunspot regions were small and magnetically simple.

No Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) were observed in available satellite imagery. 

Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: Solar winds were reflective of an ongoing fast wind from a large and intense 'coronal hole'.

The solar wind speed was strong throughout, rising and then falling slightly over the course of the 24 hours. The number of particles comprising the solar wind was below average, with a slightly falling tendency. The associated magnetic field started the period moderate, but waned with time to become weak. The north-south component of this field was erratic throughout, but not spending any protracted periods of time co- or anti-aligned with Earth's field (usually to lesser or greater geomagnetic effect respectively).

The net result of the above solar wind meaures was for provisionally G1 Minor geomagnetic storm conditions, peaking in the 00-03UTC interval, but falling slightly as the UTC day progressed.

Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: No solar radiation storms were observed.

Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary

Solar Activity: Moderate activity is likely, with occasional low-level moderate-class flares from the largest sunspot region likely to continue. There is a daily slight chance of these flares reaching strong-class.

Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: There are no Earth-directed CMEs, and the only forecast feature is therefore the current strong fast wind from a large coronal hole, which should now gradually wane towards midweek UTC. This should leave Thursday 12 November as the most reliably quiet day of the period.

There is a chance of further G1 minor geomagnetic storm intervals on Monday 09 November, falling to a slight chance Tuesday 10 November to leave midweek quieter. Thursday should then be the most favourable day.

Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: There is a rising slight chance of exceeding the S1/Minor Radiation Storm threshold, should the most complex active region produce any larger x-ray flares as it rotates westwards.

Issued at: 00:10 (GMT) on Mon 9 Nov 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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