Overview
Space weather refers to the varying conditions within the Solar System and its heliosphere, including the effects of the solar wind on the Earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. This branch of space physics and aeronomy, also known as heliophysics, has been studied since the 1950s and has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential impact on satellite communications, power grids, and astronaut safety. The term 'space weather' was popularized in the 1990s and has since prompted research into 'space climate', the large-scale and long-term patterns of space weather. With the increasing reliance on space-based technologies, understanding and predicting space weather has become crucial for mitigating its effects on Earth's technological systems. According to [[nasa|NASA]], space weather can cause significant disruptions to communication and navigation systems, with estimated annual losses of over $2 billion. The study of space weather is an interdisciplinary field, involving collaborations between [[noaa|NOAA]], [[esa|ESA]], and other space agencies, as well as universities and research institutions, such as the [[university-of-colorado|University of Colorado]] and the [[massachusetts-institute-of-technology|Massachusetts Institute of Technology]].