en http://www.sunearthplan.net/ The Sun Earth Plan aims to learn more about the region of space dominated by our sun. Seismographs measure tremors in the Earth’s crust during earthquakes. In a similar way, magnetometers measure shudders of the Earth’s magnetic field due to disturbances in the electrical current systems that flow in the upper atmosphere. Lots fluctuations mean an auroral display is more likely. Hundreds of magnetometers continuously monitor changes in magnetic field around the world, including the sub-auroral magnetometer network (SAM ... http://www.sunearthplan.net/4/780/Seeing-the-northern-lights-from-Britain At present, two magnetospheric spacecraft missions are active: Cluster, launched in 2000 comprising four satellites which fly together in formation, and five Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) satellites, launched in 2007, with each occupying a different orbit. Ground-based remote-sensing equipment includes ionospheric radars, which measure motions of the ionised upper atmosphere, and auroral cameras, whi ... http://www.sunearthplan.net/4/767/When-is-the-magnetosphere-like-an-elephant Such storms have in the past caused power-outages in Canada and Scandinavia and produce a hazardous radiation environment for satellites and astronauts. There is also a suspected link between solar activity and Earth’s climate. The KuaFu mission will be the first dedicated to monitoring space weather events from ‘cradle-to-grave’, helping us to understand the intimate connection between solar activity and conditions on Earth.The ... http://www.sunearthplan.net/4/143/UK-scientists-plan-for-Chinese-space-mission There is a growing awareness within governments and industry of the ‘space weather’ risk. In response, a group of dedicated space weather service providers has recently emerged, which, in the UK, includes the BGS: a scientific institute that has been providing space weather services since 1990. BGS forecasts solar and geomagnetic activity for the European Space Agency’s Operations Centre (ESOC) in Germany. These forecasts are in ... http://www.sunearthplan.net/4/108/British-Geological-Survey---its-not-just-about-rocks-and-mountains The Earth is studded with hundreds of magnetometers operated by many different nations and the UK plays a key role. The sub-auroral magnetometer network (SAMNET) records data from 13 magnetometer stations in the UK, Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia. Deployed by the University of York and now operated by Lancaster University in collaboration with the British Geological Survey and the Finnish Meteorological Survey, SAMNET has been helping scientis ... http://www.sunearthplan.net/4/23/Taking-the-pulse-of-the-magnetosphere Occasionally, however, the aurora becomes much more dynamic. The single auroral ribbon may split into several ribbons or even break into clusters that race north and south. This dynamic light show in the polar skies is associated with what scientists call a magnetospheric substorm. On 19th February this year, five satellites were loaded into a single rocket and launched from NASA’s Cape Canaveral complex in Florida. Their two-year mission ... http://www.sunearthplan.net/4/22/The-northern-lights Cluster senses many different physical processes, including the shockwave generated when the solar wind slams into the Earth. Our planet and its magnetic field are an obstacle to the supersonic plasma as it flows away from the Sun. Therefore a ‘bow shock’ forms to slow down and deflect the plasma around the Earth. Shocks form wherever an obstacle sits in a supersonic plasma flow. The Hubble space telescope has captured images of a bow ... http://www.sunearthplan.net/4/21/Plasma-shock-waves