Predicting changes of the environment based on the behavior of the Sun

Space weather describes the changes nature of Earth’s environment predominantly because of the behavior of our Sun. This can include Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and the shockwaves that come with them, solar energetic particles (SEP), extreme ultraviolet, X-rays and solar winds, all with the potential to cause damage on Earth.

Fortunately, our planet is protected against the majority of negative effects from space weather because of our magnetic field, but big events could do serious damage to infrastructures on Earth, with serious potential consequences for human health.

Attaining accurate information on space weather, ‘nowcasts’ and ‘forecasts’ is possible only with sufficient observation data constantly made available, which is why ESA is developing a satellite which will be sent to the ‘L5’ Lagrangian point to monitor the Sun from an entirely new point of view.

Lagrange points are points in space where the gravitational effects of the Sun and Earth interact to create a stable location for satellites to be located. From the L5 position, the satellite will monitor CMEs from the ‘side’, as they travel from the Sun and to the Earth. This will provide more accurate measurements of the speed and direction of CMEs, therefore giving more accurate warnings and status information for people on Earth.