Live Solar Data · NASA SDO
Solar Weather
Live imagery from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and real-time solar wind data from NOAA — updated every few minutes.
Solar Activity Level
Based on live X-ray flux, solar wind speed, and Bz magnetic field
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NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory · AIA 193 · Corona · hot plasma · Auto-refreshes every 5 min
Solar Wind Speed
—km/s
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Ambient average ~400 km/s
Interplanetary Magnetic Field Bz
—nT
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Southward (negative) drives aurora
X-ray Flux · Flare Class
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No data
M and X class flares can enhance aurora 1–3 days later
What does this mean for the Northern and Southern Lights?
The connection between solar weather and the aurora is direct. Solar wind — a constant stream of charged particles from the sun — arrives at Earth at hundreds of kilometers per second. When the magnetic field embedded in that wind points southward (negative Bz), it links with Earth's magnetic field and funnels particles toward the poles, igniting the aurora.
Large solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — visible in the AIA 193 and 171 views as bright eruptions — can dramatically amplify this effect. A CME takes 1–3 days to reach Earth, so an active sun today often means strong aurora in the days ahead.
Reading the Sun: What Each View Shows
AIA 193
Shows the sun's outer corona at ~1.5 million °C. Bright loops and active regions glow clearly. Dark patches are coronal holes — regions that shoot fast solar wind toward Earth.
AIA 171
Captures plasma at ~600,000 °C in the inner corona and upper chromosphere. Solar flares and filament eruptions appear as bright bursts in this golden-orange view.
Magnetogram
Maps the magnetic field on the sun's surface. White and black regions show opposite polarities. Strong, concentrated field regions are where sunspots and flares form.
Visible Light
White-light view of the sun's photosphere — closest to what your eye would see. Sunspots appear as dark spots and are regions of intense magnetic activity.