Night Sky Platform

Space Weather

Space weather — solar flares and geomagnetic storms — explained with the standard NOAA scales. Live activity is prepared for NASA DONKI and NOAA SWPC; no current alerts are fabricated.

Night SkyReference data

Solar flare classes

Flares are ranked A–B–C–M–X by X-ray brightness, each class ten times stronger than the last. Solar flares in detail →

Class A: Background level; negligible effects.
Class B: Minor; no noticeable effects.
Class C: Small flares with few noticeable consequences.
Class M: Medium flares; can cause brief radio blackouts and minor radiation storms.
Class X: The most intense flares; can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and strong radiation storms.

Geomagnetic storm scale

NOAA ranks geomagnetic storms G1–G5. Geomagnetic storms in detail →

G1: Minor: weak power-grid fluctuations; aurora at high latitudes.
G2: Moderate: aurora reaches mid-high latitudes.
G3: Strong: aurora at mid-latitudes; possible satellite and navigation effects.
G4: Severe: widespread aurora and grid/navigation impacts.
G5: Extreme: aurora far from the poles; major infrastructure risk.

Related in the Knowledge Graph

The Sun

Earth

Sources & references

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NOAA SWPCNOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
Space-weather forecasts and alerts: aurora (OVATION), the Kp index, and the G1–G5 geomagnetic storm scale.
NASA DONKINASA Community Coordinated Modeling Center
The Space Weather Database Of Notifications, Knowledge, Information: solar flares, CMEs, and geomagnetic storms.

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Solar flare classes

Flares are ranked A–B–C–M–X by X-ray brightness, each class ten times stronger than the last. Solar flares in detail →

Class A: Background level; negligible effects.
Class B: Minor; no noticeable effects.
Class C: Small flares with few noticeable consequences.
Class M: Medium flares; can cause brief radio blackouts and minor radiation storms.
Class X: The most intense flares; can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and strong radiation storms.

Geomagnetic storm scale

NOAA ranks geomagnetic storms G1–G5. Geomagnetic storms in detail →

G1: Minor: weak power-grid fluctuations; aurora at high latitudes.
G2: Moderate: aurora reaches mid-high latitudes.
G3: Strong: aurora at mid-latitudes; possible satellite and navigation effects.
G4: Severe: widespread aurora and grid/navigation impacts.
G5: Extreme: aurora far from the poles; major infrastructure risk.

Sources & references

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NOAA SWPCNOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

Space-weather forecasts and alerts: aurora (OVATION), the Kp index, and the G1–G5 geomagnetic storm scale.

NASA DONKINASA Community Coordinated Modeling Center

The Space Weather Database Of Notifications, Knowledge, Information: solar flares, CMEs, and geomagnetic storms.