The Sun & the Shield
Space weather, what the Sun is doing, and how Earth’s magnetic shield is taking it. Updated 2026-11-13 15:00 UTC. See the Schumann resonance →
Right Now
The Sun is resting quietly today with just a minor flare, and Earth's magnetic shield is settling into a calm, neutral state, the kind of peaceful electromagnetic conditions that let the nervous system do the same. For people who feel the subtle shifts in Earth's magnetic field, this is a day when the usual static clears away, making it easier to think clearly and feel grounded. It's a good time to tend to things that need attention and intention, without the restless undertone that a more active field can bring.
Reading: Earth’s magnetic shield is quiet, the Sun’s latest flare was C1.2.
Solar Weather · The Sun
The Sun’s weather: flares are sudden X-ray bursts (graded A, B, C, M, X, each step ten times stronger), the solar wind is the stream of charged particles blowing off the Sun, and Kp rates how disturbed Earth’s field is (0 calm → 9 extreme storm).
- Latest flare: C1.2 , minor
- Kp index: 0.33
- polar and high-latitude regions (e.g., northern Canada, Alaska, Iceland, northern Scandinavia, Greenland)
Recent solar activity shows a minor C1.2 flare, kp 0.3 (quiet), solar wind n/a. Quiet field; minimal human impact expected, mostly confined to polar and high-latitude regions (e.g., northern Canada, Alaska, Iceland, northern Scandinavia, Greenland).
Magnetosphere · The Shield
Earth’s magnetic shield deflects the solar wind. Bz is the key dial: when it points south (negative) it couples the Sun’s energy in and can spark storms and aurora. Kp and Dst track how disturbed and compressed the shield is.
- Status: quiet
- IMF Bz: -1 nT (near neutral)
- Field strength (Bt): 5 nT
- Kp index: 0.33
- Dst: 1 nT
- Solar wind at Earth: 373 km/s
IMF near neutral.
The Shape Of The Field
A side-on cross-section of Earth’s magnetosphere right now, the colour is the density of charged particles. You can see the shield squashed in on the side facing the Sun and streaming out into a long tail on the far side. When the solar wind picks up, the day side compresses and the whole shape stirs.
Magnetosphere density cross-section showing its shape
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NOAA SWPC Geospace model, the same view as the dot in the cosmic strip, full size.
The Sun Right Now
The Sun's corona (SDO 193 Å)
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NASA SDO, 193 Å, the corona. The bright tangled patches are active regions, where flares erupt.
Global Field Response
Global geospace ground magnetic field response
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NOAA SWPC, how the ground magnetic field is being disturbed worldwide right now.
Solar Wind & Activity, Recent Days
Space weather overview: solar wind and Kp
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NOAA SWPC overview, solar wind speed, density, magnetic field, and the Kp storm index.
Over North America
North America geospace field response
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NOAA SWPC, regional ground magnetic field disturbance.
What Does It Mean?
The Sun is always breathing out a wind of charged particles, and now and then it flares or flings a cloud of plasma our way. Earth’s magnetic field is the shield that catches it. When the shield is calm, things feel steady; when a flare or a fast, south-pointing wind stirs it into a geomagnetic storm, sensitive folks can feel wired, headachey, or restless, and the sky may light up with aurora. It also ripples the Earth’s Schumann resonance. None of it is cause for alarm; it’s the weather of the space we live in.
