Space weather

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/space-weather

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is space weather and why does the Sun cause it?Space weather is the changing conditions in space caused by the Sun's activity. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections send charged particles toward Earth, creating storms in space.
2. How do solar flares and coronal mass ejections affect Earth?Solar flares release bursts of radiation, while coronal mass ejections send huge clouds of plasma. These can push on Earth's magnetic field, making auroras and geomagnetic storms.

Heliophysics: The study of the Sun and its influence on the solar system and Earth.
Coronal Mass Ejection (CME): A massive expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's corona into space.
Geomagnetic Storm: A major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere caused by the interaction with solar wind.
Magnetic Reconnection: A process where magnetic field lines break and reconfigure, releasing energy.