The emergence of models of space weather

They manage to do this using the data collected by the fleet of spacecraft that NASA has in orbit around the Sun laboratory analysts provide information to a group of supercomputers which is responsible for processing. A few hours after an eruption of great magnitude, computers produce a three dimensional film shows where the storm goes and what planets and spacecraft will be hit, also predicts the film will occur when each impact. This type of prediction of interplanetary weather is unprecedented in the short history of weather forecasting in space."This is an exciting time to work as a forecaster of space weather," says Ante Pulkkinen, who is a researcher at the Laboratory of Space Weather. "The emergence of models of space weather based on serious physical is giving us the ability to predict if and when a major event."

Some of the models made by computer are so sophisticated they can even predict the Corrientes power flowing on the floor of the Earth when a solar storm hits us. These currents are most harmful for electrical transformers. The pilot project called “Solar Shield ", which is run by Pulkkinen, aims to locate the processors that have the highest probability of failure during a storm.

"Disconnecting a specific transformer for a few hours can prevent regional blackouts weeks," says Pulkkinen.

Another speaker at the SWEF, John Allen, Mission Directorate and Space Operations at NASA, says that although anyone can be affected by weather conditions in space, no one is in greater danger than the astronauts.

"The astronauts are routinely exposed to four times more radiation than those who work with industrial radiation on Earth," he says. "It's an occupational hazard very seriously."