Measurement

Space Weather

Current solar-wind, magnetic-field, radiation and geomagnetic conditions with the source and observation time shown for each measurement. History and events remain clearly separated from interpretation.

Foundation

Current solar-wind, magnetic-field, radiation and geomagnetic conditions with the source and observation time shown for each measurement. History and events remain clearly separated from interpretation.

Space weather contains several distinct phenomena

The view combines context from X-ray radiation, energetic particles, solar wind, IMF, geomagnetic activity and events such as CME. These signals are physically related but are not one scale. A flare, a radiation storm and a geomagnetic storm have different mechanisms, units and propagation times.

NOAA G, S and R scales are not interchangeable

G describes geomagnetic storms and is operationally tied to Kp, S describes radiation storms using proton flux, and R describes radio blackouts related to solar X-ray emission. A high level on one scale does not automatically imply the same level on the others. The interface should always show the scale name together with its proper underlying metric.

Provider and timestamp are part of situational awareness

NOAA supplies current plasma, IMF, X-ray and proton products, GFZ is the authority for Kp, and NASA DONKI organizes event records. Products have different cadences, so current state is judged from the timestamp of the specific record. A last-good value cannot remain indefinitely current after its provider stops updating.