The Sun’s surface is far from quiet. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections routinely erupt and race outward, and when they collide with Earth’s magnetic field the result is space weather. According to forecasters, several coronal mass ejections tracked this week could spark a minor geomagnetic storm, with auroras possible across parts of Canada and the northern United States on the evening of Sept. 9, 2026.
Below are five essential reads that explain the science of space weather, its impacts on modern technology, lessons from history, new tools for monitoring the Sun, and efforts to forecast dangerous events.
What is space weather?
Solar flares and coronal mass ejections are composed of plasma, electrically charged gas that can reach Earth and interact with the planet’s magnetic field. Astrophysicists Yeimy J. Rivera, Rosa Tatiana Niembro Hernández and Samuel Badman describe how those interactions trigger geomagnetic storms and produce the northern lights. The Sun’s steady outflow, the solar wind, also plays a central role as it streams charged particles and magnetic field lines through space. Scientists study how the solar wind and coronal mass ejections couple with Earth’s magnetosphere to set off space weather.
Read more: What are solar storms and the solar wind? 3 astrophysicists explain how particles coming from the Sun interact with Earth
Space weather and technology on Earth
Beautiful auroras come with risks. Extra particles in the upper atmosphere increase drag that can degrade or deorbit satellites, and they can disturb the radio signals satellites use to communicate. GPS, which underpins aviation, maritime navigation, robotics, transportation, agriculture and military operations, is especially sensitive to ionospheric disruptions. As aerospace engineer Piyush Mehta notes, meter-level positioning errors are unacceptable for many sectors. Events in 2025 disrupted some satellite communications and even triggered overheating alarms on power grids, underscoring that severe storms could cause more consequential outages.
Read more: Solar storms can destroy satellites with ease – a space weather expert explains the science
Space weather throughout history
The 1859 solar storm, often called the Carrington Event, produced a blinding flare and intense auroras while telegraph lines shorted across parts of the world, environmental historian Dagomar Degroot recounts. Today’s interconnected infrastructure is more vulnerable. Beyond satellites, powerful storms can disrupt cellular networks and electric power grids, affecting communications, transportation, utilities and even wastewater systems. Continuous solar monitoring allows grid operators to reduce or reroute power when a coronal mass ejection is inbound, a precaution that can prevent wider failures.
Read more: Solar storms have influenced our history – an environmental historian explains how they could also threaten our future
Studying space weather
Space agencies maintain a fleet of missions to watch the Sun and track eruptions from multiple vantage points. In 2025, NASA added several assets, solar physicist Ryan French explains, to improve coverage from Sun to Earth. In March 2025, NASA launched the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere, four satellites in Earth orbit investigating how the Sun’s outer atmosphere generates the solar wind. In September 2025, two more missions lifted off: the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe, IMAP, and the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory.
IMAP and Carruthers operate near the L1 Lagrange point between Earth and the Sun, where gravitational forces balance and spacecraft enjoy a stable, continuous view of solar activity. IMAP is mapping the reach of solar particles and characterizing the solar wind, while Carruthers observes how Earth’s outer atmosphere responds during storms. Another mission, the Sun Coronal Ejection Tracker, is slated for launch in 2027 to watch how coronal mass ejections evolve as they leave the Sun. Together, these platforms strengthen the ability to monitor and respond to space weather.
Some of the technologies designed for harsh environments, such as the high-temperature transistor hits 1110 F, eyed for Venus probes, may also benefit future solar monitoring missions operating close to the Sun.
Read more: 2 newly launched NASA missions will help scientists understand the influence of the Sun, both from up close and afar
Forecasting space weather events
With human missions to the Moon planned before the decade’s end, the stakes for space weather forecasting are rising. The Moon lacks a protective magnetic field, leaving astronauts exposed to high-energy particles. Space scientist Lulu Zhao notes that during a large solar energetic particle event, the dose inside a spacesuit could exceed by 1,000 times what a person on Earth receives, surpassing an astronaut’s recommended lifetime limit tenfold. Zhao and colleagues are building a research center to improve prediction of hazardous events, providing the lead time needed for crews to shelter and for operators on Earth to safeguard critical infrastructure.
Read more: Space weather forecasting needs an upgrade to protect future Artemis astronauts
Why space weather research matters
Space weather research is advancing quickly. As the world grows more interconnected, the need to predict and mitigate solar-driven disruptions, from satellites to power grids, will only intensify.
NASA and agencies worldwide are investing in missions and models to track these disturbances from the Sun to Earth and beyond, improving resilience for both spacefarers and people on the ground.
This article summarizes a selection of archived expert analyses.