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© 2026 Developments Today. All rights reserved.

space-weather Articles | Developments Today

Solar Orbiter tracks origin of mysterious magnetic switchbacks

Solar Orbiter traces solar-wind switchbacks to the Sun

Solar Orbiter flew through and sampled a large solar-wind switchback.
The particles included oxygen and carbon signatures associated with hot magnetic loops at the Sun.
ESA says the result supports interchange reconnection as a formation process.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Oct 10, 2026·via esa.int

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Hand-drawn image of sunspots from the Great Sunspot of 1947. Credit - Mount Wilson Observatory

Sun May Be Physically Capable of Superflares, New Study Finds

The Sun has long been considered relatively quiet compared with Sun-like stars and incapable of superflares.
A new paper by Natalie Krivova and co-authors in Philosophical Transactions A questions that assumption.
Solar flares occur when twisted magnetic fields in active regions snap and reconnect.
Active regions are known as sunspots and leave behind flare ribbons.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Sep 21, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Earth may have lost the Sun’s protective shield millions of years ago

NASA Studies Link Ancient Solar Activity to Earth’s Climate History

NASA-backed research says changes around the heliosphere may have influenced Earth’s ancient climate.
A separate study suggests violent eruptions from the young Sun may have helped warm early Earth.
The findings broaden climate and habitability models by adding solar and galactic context.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Sep 2, 2026·via sciencedaily.com

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NASA’s PUNCH Sharpens Solar Storm Forecasting in First Test

NASA’s PUNCH shows a faster path to solar storm warnings

NASA says PUNCH predicted a solar eruption’s arrival near Earth within 30 minutes in an early test.
The mission’s four spacecraft can track coronal mass ejections nearly all the way from the Sun to Earth.
The result suggests more precise warnings for power grids, satellites and astronauts may be possible.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Aug 5, 2026·via science.nasa.gov

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Image of Mercury taken by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft. (Credit: NASA, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and the Carnegie Institution of Washington)

Mercury’s Magnetic Field May Build Short-Lived Radiation Belts

Researchers used MESSENGER data, new analysis methods, and computer models to test whether Mercury can trap charged particles.
The study found Mercury appears to form radiation belts intermittently, especially near aphelion.
These short-lived belts could reshape how scientists think about weak planetary magnetospheres and spacecraft risk near Mercury.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 31, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Photo of a giant red plume of plasma erupting from the sun

‘Machine-Gun Sun’ Fires 10 Solar Flares, Promising July 4th Auroras Across Multiple US States

The sun launched 10 M-class solar flares in 24 hours, with multiple CMEs heading toward Earth.
CMEs are expected to hit Earth on July 3 and July 5, causing geomagnetic storms.
Storms could reach G2 or G3 strength, making auroras visible in northern US states.
Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov described the activity as a 'machine-gun sun'.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 3, 2026·via livescience.com

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An artist

StormWall Proposal Aims to Blunt Solar Superstorms

Researchers propose a six-satellite system called StormWall to reduce the impact of solar superstorms.
The concept would release gas into the magnetosphere to form a temporary protective plasma wall.
The study frames the approach as a more proactive alternative to forecasting and infrastructure hardening alone.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 1, 2026·via livescience.com

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Space Archives - Interesting Engineering

Scientists float a plasma shield idea for solar storm defense

An international team has proposed a space-based plasma airbag concept for extreme solar flare protection.
The supplied extract presents the idea as an ambitious planetary defense proposal rather than an existing system.
The proposal matters because it reframes solar storm risk as a possible engineering-defense problem.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 14, 2026·via interestingengineering.com

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An illustration of MAVEN in orbit around Mars

Mars was caught squeezing plasma in a way scientists thought impossible

Researchers linked the effect to a powerful December 2023 solar storm.
The Zwan-Wolf effect was previously thought impossible on Mars.
The finding could change models of space weather and atmospheric behavior.

DE

DT Editorial Team·May 29, 2026·via livescience.com

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Trains arrive at and depart from Clapham Junction Station in London

Space Weather Could Be a Rail Safety Risk, Researcher Warns

Solar storms can induce currents in railway tracks and signaling systems.
Researchers warn that dangerous signal anomalies are possible in some conditions.
The issue may be underdiagnosed because faults can vanish before engineers inspect them.

DE

DT Editorial Team·May 27, 2026·via newscientist.com

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Illustration of the invisible magnetic field that shields Earth from solar wind and other space radiation. Credit: NASA/ESA/SOHO

Coronal Hole Study Could Improve Forecasts of Disruptive Solar Wind

Researchers analyzed 70 coronal holes using Solar Dynamics Observatory data.
The work links magnetic imbalance in equatorial coronal holes to fast solar wind streams.
Better understanding of these links could improve forecasts for GPS, grids, aviation, and communications impacts.

DE

DT Editorial Team·May 21, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Joint ESA-China SMILE mission set for launch to study Earth's magnetic shield

ESA-China SMILE Mission Nears Launch to Watch the Solar Wind Hit Earth’s Magnetic Shield

The ESA-China SMILE mission is scheduled to launch on May 19, 2026.
It will study how solar wind and solar storms interact with Earth’s magnetosphere.
The mission could improve understanding of space weather risks to satellites and power systems.

DE

DT Editorial Team·May 18, 2026·via spacenews.com

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Artist rendering of a helioseismic map of the Sun that shows ten million modes of sound wave oscillations in the Sun. Such maps are helping scientists predict activity before it rotates into our view. Credit: NSF/NSO/AURA

Solar Scientists Add Magnetic Polarity to the Sun’s Hidden Hemisphere

Researchers developed a way to assign magnetic polarity to far-side solar active regions.
The method builds on helioseismic maps from NOAA’s Global Oscillation Network.
Better far-side magnetic information could improve space weather forecasting before active regions rotate into view.

DE

DT Editorial Team·May 7, 2026·via universetoday.com

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STORIE

NASA’s STORIE Mission Will Study a Hidden Driver of Space Weather From the ISS

STORIE is scheduled to launch in May on a SpaceX resupply mission to the ISS.
The mission will observe Earth’s ring current from the station’s exterior.
Scientists want to understand how the ring current grows, shrinks, and what particles compose it.
The research is tied to better understanding of space weather effects on technology.

DE

DT Editorial Team·May 1, 2026·via science.nasa.gov

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An artist's conception of Proba-3 in space. Credit: ESA/MediaLab.

ESA’s Proba-3 starts turning artificial eclipses into a new tool for solar science

ESA’s Proba-3 uses two spacecraft flying 150 meters apart to create artificial solar eclipses.
The mission has already gathered 250 hours of high-resolution coronal video across 57 eclipses.
Early results point to a new way to study the origins of space weather and the solar wind.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Apr 29, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Solar prominence seen in true colour during totality of a solar eclipse (Credit : ESA/CESAR)

New solar simulations aim to explain how the Sun’s ‘floating mountains’ survive

New simulations model solar prominences across multiple layers of the Sun.
The work helps explain how cooler plasma can remain suspended in the hot corona.
Prominence research matters because eruptions can affect satellites, power grids, and other infrastructure.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Apr 29, 2026·via universetoday.com

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Sun fires two X-class flares within hours, hits radio signals

Back-to-Back X-Class Solar Flares Put Space Weather Back in View

The Sun reportedly emitted two X-class solar flares within seven hours.
The activity caused temporary radio outages on Earth.
The short interval between the flares made the event more significant than a routine solar update.
Even a brief disruption shows how space weather can quickly become an infrastructure issue.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Apr 25, 2026·via interestingengineering.com

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An illustrated photo showing a hole in the sun

A Giant Coronal Hole Could Push Northern Lights Deep Into the US This Weekend

A large coronal hole has opened in the sun’s atmosphere and is sending high-speed solar wind toward Earth.
Auroras may be visible unusually far south across parts of the United States on Friday and Saturday.
The event highlights how solar activity can produce both spectacular skies and broader space weather effects.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Apr 16, 2026·via livescience.com

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view of the sun with streamers of fast solar wind emanating in all directions.

Proba-3’s Eclipse Observations Suggest the Sun’s Slow Wind Starts Much Faster Than Expected

ESA’s Proba-3 mission observed slow solar wind gusts moving three to four times faster than expected in the inner corona.
The mission uses two spacecraft flying in formation to simulate a solar eclipse.
The findings could reshape models of how solar wind accelerates near the sun.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Apr 15, 2026·via space.com

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three panel image on the left is a crowd of people, in the center is the sun and on the right is a close up view of people holding phones.

Worst-Case Solar Storm Planning Is Expanding Beyond Power Grids to Human Behavior

A worst-case space weather scenario may trigger panic buying, misinformation, and unrest, not just technical failures.
The warning expands solar-storm planning beyond satellites and power grids to public behavior.
Preparedness may need stronger communication and trust-building, not only stronger infrastructure.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Apr 15, 2026·via space.com

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