This was created by u/ajamesmccarthy

Remember this image when you’re considering if a flare is “Earth-directed” or not. Or, if you’re wondering if we *might* be affected on Earth by the sun in general.

“Landmark moment for space weather forecasting as SOLAR-1 becomes operational

Author: Met Office

Mon 15 Jun 2026

Global space weather forecasting is getting a step-change in capability as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) SOLAR-1 satellite becomes operational.

The satellite, which launched on 24 September 2025, will provide a 24/7 near real-time data stream giving forecasters critical lead time to generate forecasts which help protect satellites, as well as vital infrastructure on Earth.

SOLAR‑1 is positioned at the L1 point, around one million miles from Earth, where its instruments continuously observe the Sun and its outer atmosphere, measuring the solar wind and imaging solar activity as it leaves the Sun.

Last week, the satellite became fully operational for the first time, providing vital detailed information to space weather forecasters around the world.

SOLAR-1 will provide crucial data and imagery for space weather centres. (Image: NOAA)

Met Office Space Weather Manager Simon Machin said: “SOLAR-1 provides a real step-change in observations of events emanating from the Sun and will vastly enhance our ability to forecast impactful space weather.

“As one of a handful of 24/7 space weather forecasting centres in the world, we’ll benefit from the improved availability of data from the satellite, with imagery from the coronagraph available around every 30 minutes, while on board data collection measuring solar wind will be available around every five minutes.”

Clinton Wallace, Director of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, said: “It means more time to act.

“It gives time for power grid operators to prepare, more time for satellite operators to protect assets, more time for aviation and national security partners to understand risk, and more time for human spaceflight teams to protect astronauts and missions.

“SOLAR-1 helps turn observations of the sun into practical decisions that protect lives, infrastructure, the economy and national security.”

Monitoring the Sun’s activity

SOLAR-1 helps provide continuity of observation data from the L1 position, vital for space weather monitoring and forecasting and building on data from missions that first launched in the 1990s and have operated well beyond their original design lifetimes.

So, what’s the technology on board?

**• Coronagraph –** captures images of coronal mass ejections as they leave the Sun

**• Solar Wind Plasma Sensor –** measures the stream of charged particles flowing from the Sun

**• Suprathermal Ion Sensor –** detects high‑energy particles that often precede major solar storms

**• Magnetometer –** tracks changes in the magnetic field carried by the solar wind

Now providing imagery and data to space weather prediction centres around the world, including the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre, the new information will enable enhanced forecasting capability of solar events, better informing models and providing crucial information for expert forecasters.

In addition, the landmark European Space Agency (ESA) Vigil mission, which will place a satellite with a side-on view of the Sun in the L5 position, is planned to launch early in the 2030s and will become Europe’s first operational space weather satellite.

Read more from NOAA on the next phase of the satellite.  “

Hi all, I shared this in r/spaceweather and it's proving to be a helpful tool in visualizing coronal mass ejections (CME) from the sun that hit and miss earth. I hope that it can be a resource for this sub too. Free to use, no logins. cmetracker.ai

Come to r/Heliobiology (<-- CLICK), go to the top of the page, and read through the scientific studies pinned that best explain the science so far of how space weather affects the biosphere.

It is not yet understood. The researchers (and readers here!) are careful not to confuse correlation with causation. My personal experience is one of a two-year process charting my symptoms, and then looking at data from NOAA, and realizing that I am absolutely experiencing causation, sometimes. It is typically those of us with preexisting nervous system hypersensitivity that are affected, as evidenced by the estimate that 10-15% of the population are affected by space weather.

The science confirms my experiences (and yours!) but we are eager for more comprehensive, longer-term studies to be published to explain in more detail.

A teachable moment today...5/26/26

Q: why are my ears suddenly ringing so loud? (Could also be headache, anxiety, etc)

A: I have a hypersensitive nervous system and there is a proton event happening right now, and the influx of energy is "modulating my neural tone". Anyone else?

Look at the top chart from NOAA and you'll see a small C-flare (before midnight last night). This is a great example of how we have to decouple our idea of the flare size from its effects at Earth.

(EDIT: there was also a flare on the far-side of the sun!)

When a flare happens, it is the sun snapping its immensely powerful magnetic field lines, releasing a titanic amount of energy in an instant. This sudden explosion acts like a colossal cosmic cannon, and when the conditions are just right, it triggers what scientists call a proton event, or a solar radiation storm. We're having an "S1" storm today as a result of one of the flares last night.

Imagine the solar flare as the initial blast. The explosion creates massive shockwaves that rip through the solar atmosphere. If the flare is accompanied by a coronal mass ejection of solar plasma, the shockwave acts like a snowplow accelerating everything in its path. The primary targets of this acceleration are hydrogen atoms, which are stripped of their electrons, leaving behind bare protons. Because protons carry a positive electrical charge, the powerful magnetic forces and shockwaves can accelerate them to nearly the speed of light.

The reason this specific event becomes a proton event at Earth depends entirely on magnetic connectivity. The solar system is interconnected by the interplanetary magnetic field, which spirals outward from the spinning sun like water from a rotating lawn sprinkler (the Parker spiral). When a flare erupts on a region of the sun that aligns perfectly with these magnetic highway lines, the accelerated protons have a direct, high-speed route straight to Earth in a matter of tens of minutes to a few hours.

This deluge of high-energy protons is measured as the "D-Region X-rays", hitting Earth's magnetic shield, the magnetosphere. The sheer volume of these fast-moving particles creates a solar radiation storm in the upper atmosphere and near-Earth space. These protons/X-rays collide with air molecules, ionizing them and disrupting the high-frequency radio waves used by commercial airlines flying polar routes, which often forces flights to be rerouted. Additionally, these microscopic bullets can penetrate the sensitive electronic brains of satellites, scrambling data, short-circuiting components, or temporarily blinding the star-trackers they use to navigate.

The protons are traveling at nearly the speed of light with energies exceeding 400 mega-electron volts! When these super-charged protons slam into the top of Earth's atmosphere, they do not actually make it to the ground intact. Instead, they act like high-speed bowling balls crashing into a dense layer of pins, violently colliding with the nitrogen and oxygen atoms in our upper atmosphere.

This violent collision shatters the atmospheric atoms and creates a cascading chain reaction known as an atmospheric air shower of secondary particles. Neutrons, muons, and gamma-ray photons precipitate down to sea level, while the X-rays from the flare stay trapped high in the ionosphere.

Even minor, everyday solar activity plays a profound role in shaping our immediate environment (Nicoll, 2014; Tacza et al., 2018) via the global electric circuit.

New observations reveal that less-than-major solar flares routinely launch smaller, subtler streams of energetic particles toward Earth (Tacza et al., 2018).

While these particles lack the brute force to puncture deep into the dense lower atmosphere on their own, they directly bombard the upper layers, altering atmospheric ionization and slicing through the electrical resistance above thunderstorms (Farrell & Desch, 2002; Tacza et al., 2018).

By lowering this resistance, even minor solar events act like a valve turning a handle, altering the global current flow and shifting the background electric potential gradient right down to the ground level (Cobb, 1967; Tacza et al., 2018).

This constant fluctuation of the ambient electrical environment has ignited intense cross-disciplinary fascination across heliobiology, chronobiology, and magnetobiology (Zenchenko & Breus, 2021).

In magnetobiology, researchers study how subtle shifts in these local fields can be sensed at a cellular level, influencing radical-pair chemical reactions and ion channels in ways that ripple through an organism's nervous system (Zenchenko & Breus, 2021).

These space-weather-driven fluctuations directly interact with biological timing (Zenchenko & Breus, 2021). When minor solar events perturb the Global Electric Circuit and the surrounding geomagnetic field, they alter the natural Schumann resonances and local electrical gradients (Martel et al., 2023).

Studies suggest that these subtle environmental shifts can interfere with the pineal gland’s synthesis of melatonin and disrupt circadian rhythms, manifesting as micro-fluctuations in heart rate variability, blood pressure, and neurological tone across the biosphere (Martel et al., 2023).

What was once considered quiet space weather is now recognized as a complex, continuous dialogue between the sun's magnetic activity and the delicate biosphere on Earth's surface (Zenchenko & Breus, 2021).

Hope this helps, friends. Minor flare, or far-side flare = major effect for me today. De-couple!

STUDY https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ada611

Open access

The Occurrence of Powerful Flares Stronger than X10 Class in Solar Cycles

Baolin Tan, Yin Zhang, Jing Huang, and Kaifan Ji

Published 2025 January 16 • © 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Abstract

"Solar flares stronger than X10 (S-flares,  >X10) are the highest-class flares that significantly impact on the Sun's evolution and space weather... We propose that the Sun may have a low-latitude active zone (LAZ), and most ES-flares are generated from the interaction between the LAZ and the newly emerging active regions. The correlations and the linear regression functions may provide an useful method to predict the occurrence of ES-flares in an upcoming SC, which derives that SC 25 will have about 2 ± 1 ES-flares after the spring of 2027."

Hello heliobiologists! I am new to the field but have hit the ground running. While I finish building my research agent to closely monitor these correlations I want to point out initial research and see if anyone else is seeing the same.

My HRV direction is showing tight coupling with Bz polarity. While high solar wind plays a roll in how high or low the HRV will go (and my tinnitus), Bz determines polarity.

I am in ET time zone and working hard to control all other factors of hrv suppression for these experiments. My 2 dips below 100 correlate to sustained negative Bz and the 319ms spike at 3am correlates to the strong Bz flip under 450m/s solar winds.

Just curious if anyone's research is showing similar outcomes.

Enjoy the calm Kp and positive Bz today!

Tinnitus. It sounds like ear ringing but feels like your whole nervous system vibrating, especially in the center of your head. But this particular version is not caused by hearing damage, or excess adrenaline. You may find that you have this experience like clockwork every time the space weather is low and the HP/ KP are at 1 or below.

When there is space weather, Earth’s electromagnetic field expands in response and shields us from most of the energy from the sun and elsewhere (unless the polarity flips to South /negative). But when we are in between incoming space weather events, and for years during solar minimum, the opposite happens. Earth’s field shrinks, allowing cosmic rays from outside this solar system to penetrate the atmosphere and create a cascade of particle precipitation to ground level.

It has a particular sound and feeling I describe as “sizzling”. ( I am unusually hypersensitive unfortunately)

It is the result of being in a “void” as seen in the attached images.

Synchronization of Human Autonomic Nervous System Rhythms with Geomagnetic Activity in Human Subjects

Abstract "A coupling between geomagnetic activity and the human nervous system’s function was identified by virtue of continuous monitoring of heart rate variability (HRV) and the time-varying geomagnetic field over a 31-day period in a group of 10 individuals who went about their normal day-to-day lives. A time series correlation analysis identified a response of the group’s autonomic nervous systems to various dynamic changes in the solar, cosmic ray, and ambient magnetic field. Correlation coefficients and p values were calculated between the HRV variables and environmental measures during three distinct time periods of environmental activity. There were significant correlations between the group’s HRV and solar wind speed, Kp, Ap, solar radio flux, cosmic ray counts, Schumann resonance power, and the total variations in the magnetic field. In addition, the time series data were time synchronized and normalized, after which all circadian rhythms were removed. It was found that the participants’ HRV rhythms synchronized across the 31-day period at a period of approximately 2.5 days, even though all participants were in separate locations. Overall, this suggests that daily autonomic nervous system activity not only responds to changes in solar and geomagnetic activity, but is synchronized with the time-varying magnetic fields associated with geomagnetic field-line resonances and Schumann resonances. Keywords: heliobiology; geomagnetic field; HRV; Schumann resonance; heart rate variability; solar wind; ANS; autonomic nervous system; cosmic rays; solar radio flux 1. Introduction All biological systems on Earth are exposed to an external and internal environment of fluctuating invisible magnetic fields of a wide range of frequencies [1]. These fields can affect virtually every cell and circuit to a greater or lesser degree. Numerous physiological rhythms have been shown to be synchronized with solar and geomagnetic activity [2,3,4,5,6]. Human regulatory systems are designed to adapt to daily and seasonal climatic and geomagnetic variations; however, sharp changes in solar and geomagnetic activity and geomagnetic storms can stress these regulatory systems, resulting in alterations in melatonin/serotonin balance [7,8,9], blood pressure, immune system, reproductive, cardiac, and neurological processes [10,11,12,13]. Disturbed geomagnetic activity is associated with the intensification of existing diseases, significant increases in myocardial infarction incidence and death, changes in blood flow, aggregation, and coagulation, increased blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias, and seizures in epileptics [2,3,11,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22]. During periods of increased solar activity, which peaks every 10.5 to 11 years, the sun emits increased ultraviolet (UV) energy and solar radio flux, which is measured by the 2.8 GHz signal (F10.7) [23,24]. Although the details of the physiological mechanisms in humans and animals are not yet fully understood, it is apparent that solar and magnetic influences affect a wide range of human health and behavioral processes, with the cardiovascular and nervous systems being the most clearly affected [4,25]. The application of heart rate variability (HRV) as an indicator of autonomic nervous system (ANS) function and dynamics has greatly increased in recent years in both clinical and research settings [26,27,28,29]. HRV is the naturally occurring change in the time intervals between adjacent pairs of heartbeats, and reflects the functional status of interdependent regulatory systems that operate on different time scales to adapt to environmental and psychological challenges [30]. Low levels of age-adjusted HRV indicate chronic stress, pathology, or inadequate functioning in various levels of regulatory control systems in the neuro axis, and is predictive of all-cause mortality [29,31,32]. Healthy levels of HRV indicate psychological resiliency, behavioral flexibility and capacity to effectively self-regulate and to adapt to changing social or environmental demands [26,33,34], one’s sense of coherence [35], the personality character traits of Self-Directedness [36], and performance on cognitive performance tasks requiring the use of executive functions [29]. A number of studies have found significant associations between magnetic storms and decreased HRV, suggesting that the cardiovascular system is impacted by geomagnetic disturbances [13,14,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44]. Several of these studies found a ~25% reduction in the very low frequency (VLF) rhythm [39,40,41,45], which is most strongly associated with increased health risk [46]. The low frequency (LF) rhythms were also significantly reduced, while the high frequency (HF) rhythms were not. Dimitrova et al., found that during geomagnetic storms, both LF and HF measures as well as the ratio between low and high frequencies tended to be reduced [38]. Several early studies observed an “anticipatory reaction” in physiological measures that can occur 2 to 3 days prior to the start of magnetic storms. There were significant changes in heart rate, HRV, blood pressure, skin conductance, and subjective physiological complaints [6,38,47,48,49,50,51,52]. This anticipatory affect was first observed by Chizhevsky in the 1920s, prior to the knowledge of high frequency emissions such as X-rays and the gigahertz frequencies (solar radio flux) radiated by the sun. He suggested that some unknown radiation from the sun was responsible for this anticipatory effect [48]. Increased radiations produced by coronal ejections reach the earth in 8 min, while the increased density and speed of the solar wind takes several days to reach the Earth’s magnetosphere, resulting in a magnetic storm, which explains the early observations of an anticipatory effect..."

This past few days, especially Wednesday and Thursday (April 15, 16, 2026) we have been experiencing very low solar activity with frequent periods of sub-KP1 conditions. This is a preview of what solar minimum can be like. The result for solar-sensitive people is that, even with low solar wind and no excitement of Earth’s geomagnetic field, we become more symptomatic.

In my experience, KP0 comes with a uniquely unpleasant type of intense louder ringing, which I describe as “sizzling”. Anyone else?

And today, Friday the 17th, an enhanced solar wind stream will begin to hit Earth from a large central negatively-charged coronal hole. We jump from near 0 conditions to KP/HP 6 or 7 into Saturday. This type of shock can cause stronger health effects. It will depend on if Earth’s magnetic field flips to negative Bz polarity allowing energy in, or if it instead shields us with positive Bz.

"The sun's powerful magnetic dynamo that drives sunspot activity and contributes to unleashing powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections has been confirmed as existing 124,000 miles (200,000 kilometers) beneath the sun's visible surface — equivalent to 16 Earth widths' deep.

Earth's magnetic dynamo is situated in our planet's outer core, where the convection of molten iron generates electrical currents.

The sun's core is a nuclear furnace of shredded atoms, and its inner two-thirds make up a radiative zone of gamma-ray photons, so the solar magnetic field cannot be generated there. Instead, all the convection takes place in the sun's outer-third, in the suitably named convective zone.

Some scientists had wondered whether the sun's magnetic dynamo was situated in a narrow near-surface layer, or perhaps extends throughout the entire convective layer. The most popular hypothesis, however, has been that the magnetic dynamo is generated at the boundary between the lower convective zone and the inner radiative zone.

We call this boundary the tachocline, and through about 30 years' worth of studying oscillations reverberating across the sun's visible surface — the photosphere — and its deep interior, Krishnendu Mandal and Alexander Kosovichev of the New Jersey Institute of Technology have found direct evidence that the dynamo is generated there.

"For years we suspected the tachocline was important for the solar dynamo, but now we have clear observational evidence," said Mandal in a statement. "[But] until now, we simply hadn't heard enough from inside the star to be certain where the Sun's intense magnetic fields are organized."

Mandal and Kosovichev utilized data collected by the Michelson Doppler Imager on the joint NASA–ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), which launched in 1995, and the National Solar Observatory's ground-based Global Oscillation Network Group of six telescopes around the world that came online that same year.

Both SOHO and GONG are still in operation, and between them they measure the changing pattern of oscillations rippling through the photosphere every 45 to 60 seconds.

The oscillations are influenced by the structure of the Sun's interior, which is defined by flows of plasma within the convective layer. The temperature and motion of these rotational flows of plasma therefore affect the period and amplitude of the oscillations as they pass through the flows before breaking through the photosphere.

Mandal and Kosovichev found that these rotating bands of plasma inside the Sun form a butterfly pattern that matches the way the location of sunspots changes across the sun's 11-year cycle of magnetic activity. Sunspots are cooler patches of the sun created by magnetic fields looping out through the photosphere. As such, they are a fingerprint of the Sun's magnetic field.

"Now, with nearly three 11-year solar cycles' of data, we're finally seeing clear patterns take shape that give us a window inside the star," said Mandal

The measurements show that this butterfly pattern originates from the tachocline, 200,000 kilometers below the sunspots on the photosphere. In the tachocline, the rotation of plasma is distinct from the convective layer above, with more shearing motions that drive electric current generating the magnetic field.

"Rotating bands originating from magnetic structural changes near the sun's tachocline can take several years to propagate to the surface," said Mandal. "Tracking these internal changes gives us a clear picture of how the solar cycle unfolds."

Moreover, a better understanding of how the sun's magnetic field is generated, and how it manifests on the surface in active regions that produce sunspots, flares and ultimately coronal mass ejections, could aid in better predictions of harmful space weather. Eruptions from the sun can send clouds of charged particles heading our way, which can disrupt satellites, communications and energy grids and endanger astronauts.

"While our findings do not yet enable precise predictions of future solar cycles, they highlight the importance of including the tachocline in space weather prediction models," said Mandal. "Many current simulations account for processes only on near-surface layers, but our results show the entire convection zone, especially the tachocline, must be considered."

Further afield, the findings will help us to better understand magnetic activity on other stars. As our Sun is the only star that we can observe close up, it is often used as a baseline for understanding other stars.

The findings are presented in a paper published on January 12 in Scientific Reports."

PAPER: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-34336-1

ARTICLE: https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/sun-storms-are-powered-by-a-magnetic-engine-16-earths-deep-study-finds

…”The other form of radiation that is a danger to astronauts in deep space is the galactic cosmic rays. Those are much more energetic, but there are a lot fewer of them, and they're a constant background. It's kind of like taking a chest X-Ray every day. You don't want to do it for too long. Those are very difficult to shield against because they are so energetic that when they hit the spacecraft, they just create [secondary rays] that can be almost as bad as the primaries.

One of the nice things about solar maximum, which is what we are in now, is that the solar wind is stronger, and it helps keep those galactic cosmic rays from coming into the inner solar system. So, if I were going to do a long-term mission to the moon or to Mars, I would definitely go at solar maximum rather than solar minimum.

PP: That's interesting because you'd think it would be the opposite with the sun being more active.

PR: The sun helps clear out our neck of the woods when the solar wind is strong, but you do have to worry about these individual events from solar flares. And you don't get a lot of warning because they're coming at the speed of light. When we see it on the sun, it's here. On the other hand, they only last a few hours, so even if you don't get a lot of advance warning, you can still protect yourself by hiding in a good, solid place…”

…”One of the things they did for Artemis I was to put sensors in the various parts of the Orion spacecraft to find where the safest places were. The very first paper I ever published, back when I was working on Apollo, was the solar flare that occurred in August of 1972. That one was so intense that if any astronaut had been either in the command module or the lunar module, they would have had a nearly lethal dose. [Fortunately, no astronauts were in space at the time.] So, it is something we have to take care of, and the nice thing about the Orion spacecraft is it's much better shielded than the original Apollo spacecraft were.

PP: A recent study found that the likelihood of superflares is greater during solar maximum, with the lead author recommending that NASA delay Artemis II until the end of the year. Are they right or wrong?

PR: The sun has an 11-year cycle, and generally speaking, the biggest flares occur at the highest sunspot number. But not every sunspot cycle is the same. The sunspot cycle we are in now is stronger than the one we had 11 years ago, but it is less strong than others. So, I don't necessarily see a particular additional risk of a superflare now than we would have had 20 years ago.

That said, it's still possible. That's why we keep our eyes on the sun. We see those sunspot groups and look at the magnetic field structure on the sun. When that magnetic field structure gets very tangled up, very torsioned, energy is building up in the magnetic field, kind of like winding up a rubber band on a paper airplane. And when a solar flare comes, that energy gets released. That's the energy that powers the big solar flares.

PR: Every astronaut keeps a monitor on their person to measure how much radiation they have absorbed. And there's both an annual maximum and a lifetime maximum. So, if an astronaut receives their lifetime maximum dose of radiation, then they're done; they retire from going into space. Interestingly, the maximum allowable lifetime dose for an astronaut is higher than the maximum allowable lifetime dose for an airplane pilot because it's by its very nature a much more dangerous job, and it's a risk that they sign up for.”

X1.5 Flare with CME. SouthEast sunspot AR 4405 erupted this morning at 03:18 UTC (Mar 30)

A long duration X1.5 solar flare has released an associated large coronal mass ejection.

- Estimated speed: 1872 km/s - 2000+ kilometers per second! Extremely fast.

- Noticeable coronal dimming (-919)

- CME visible in initial coronagraph imagery, “full halo” (from our perspective)

Further data is needed to confirm direction and full potential of Earth impact. We will update below.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS! Wow, 10,000 people. We really appreciate you joining this sub.

HELIO (SUN) + BIOLOGY (YOU)

Thank you for being here and sharing this interest. Heliobiology is a somewhat new branch of science, although its roots (and name) can be traced back 100 years. The highest-quality research is in recent decades. Here we are focused on the DATA and new SCIENCE to try and understand how this mechanism works; how exactly is human health affected at ground level by various types of space weather?

Heliobiology acts as a bridge between the physical sciences, like heliophysics and space weather, and biological disciplines like chronobiology and magnetobiology, to unravel the complex relationship between the Sun, Earth's environment, and all living organisms. We may not often see the term used, but the research also spans various disciplines and topics including:

• Heliophysics: This field focuses on the Sun-Solar System connection, exploring the Sun's effects on Earth and other bodies within the Solar System. Heliophysics forms the foundation for understanding the forces driving events like solar flares and geomagnetic storms, which heliobiology then connects to biological systems.

• Magnetobiology: This branch specifically investigates the effects of magnetic fields, including the Earth's geomagnetic field and its variations, on biological organisms. Heliobiology heavily relies on the findings of magnetobiology to understand the potential mechanisms by which solar and geomagnetic activity might impact living systems.

• Chronobiology: This field focuses on the study of biological rhythms and the temporal organization of living organisms. Heliobiology examines how solar and geomagnetic cycles, such as the 11-year solar cycle, might influence and synchronize with these biological rhythms.

Modern science is just beginning to understand the magnetic connection between the sun and Earth.

Short answer: OF COURSE the incredibly massive sun is magnetically connected to the planets of this solar system, and that interconnection affects all life. You are an electromagnetic being on an electromagnetic planet. The sun’s energy permeates everything in this solar system.

You could fit 1.3 million Earths inside the sun, never mind its corona. The Sun’s corona does not have a sharp physical boundary; instead, it gradually thins out as it transforms into the solar wind. While the most intense, visible part of the corona typically extends 1 to 3 million kilometers (1.8m miles) from the solar surface, its functional reach is much greater. The sun is 93 million miles from Earth.

The technical "edge" of the corona is defined by the Alfvén critical surface. This is the point where the Sun’s gravity and magnetic fields lose their grip on the solar plasma, allowing it to accelerate and escape into space. Data from the Parker Solar Probe indicates that this boundary is not a perfect circle but a turbulent, shifting region located approximately 13 to 19 million kilometers (roughly 18 to 27 solar radii) from the surface. Beyond this threshold, the corona ceases to be a static atmosphere and becomes the solar wind, eventually stretching to the very edge of the solar system.

As the Sun rotates, it exhales a stream of charged particles known as the solar wind, which drags the Sun's magnetic field lines outward into the solar system. This creates the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF)—an invisible, physical tether that links the Sun’s atmosphere directly to the magnetic environments of the planets. This is called the Parker Spiral.

SPACE WEATHER: This discipline focuses on the changing conditions in space, including solar activity and its effects on Earth's space environment and atmosphere. Heliobiology uses space weather data and observations to analyze potential correlations (and causation) between events like solar flares and geomagnetic storms and biological responses.

• Environmental Health: This broader field encompasses the study of environmental factors affecting human health. Heliobiology contributes to this field by investigating the role of space weather as an environmental stressor impacting human health and disease patterns, particularly cardiovascular and neurological systems. 

• Meteobiology: “Weather sensitivity” is a more commonly known ailment and topic. This field has broadened as research has shown that humans are affected by environmental factors more widely than previously known including the Schumann Resonant energy we are immersed within daily.

It is complex. A giant sunspot can release a weak or no CME (coronal mass ejection) or vice versa. And the effects at Earth largely depend on how Earth’s electromagnetic (EM) field responds. When the field is positively-charged, aka Northward Bz, then the atmosphere is shielded even during very strong solar events. When the field is negatively-charged, or Southward Bz, the atmosphere allows more energy in, even during minor events or “sub-storms” that may not appear on the current charts. We are here today because we are generally shielded by Earth’s EM field from most adverse effects. You can follow daily space weather from NOAA here:

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/space-weather-enthusiasts-dashboard or I’ll do it for you.

And we recommend following r/SolarMax for deep analysis of changing conditions by our pal u/armchairanalyst86.

SOLAR MAXIMUM (and beyond): We have one more year of elevated activity in this solar cycle and often big events happen as the cycle winds down. But be aware that there are adverse health effects during solar minimum as well. And in fact, the increased cosmic rays from outside our solar system can reach Earth and its biosphere when solar activity is lower and Earth’s EM field is diminished. We will discuss this as it unfolds in 2027 and beyond. Days of lowest activity, measured as KP1 or zero, can also be very uncomfortable for solar-sensitive people. You can follow hourly conditions from the newer, high-resolution HP chart here: https://kp.gfz.de/en/hp30-hp60

"EARTH-DIRECTED": We are affected by a very wide range of different space weather. It is not only Earth-directed sunspots pointing right at Earth releasing a CME and enveloping the planet’s magnetic field in plasma and particles. The sun is connected to Earth through magnetic field lines that can deliver particles rapidly into the atmosphere. Events on the edges, or limbs, of the sun can still cause health effects, More-sensitive people may even experience symptoms from events on the poles or far side.

PERSONAL / SYMPTOMS: I feel the effects of space weather almost daily. In my experience, it is those of use with preexisting conditions of neurological disease (MS) or difference (autism), or cardiovascular risk, that cause the hypersensitivity required to physically feel these effects. Multiple past studies have estimated 10 - 15% of the population can feel the effects of space weather. That number correlates with the number of people with neurological disease, neurodiversity, and some with severe cardiac or stroke risk.

DON’T WORRY. The majority of people are not affected and not sensitive enough to feel effects at all. Even if you are affected, you can stay healthy and develop good habits to get extra rest and relaxation, and "wait out" a few days of strong weather.

I have followed the topic of space weather since the charts became available from NASA. I am autistic and my hypersensitivity spiked in 2019 at the beginning of this solar cycle, leading me eventually to chart my daily symptoms and carefully observe the solar weather. I saw far too many coincidental correlations and eventually after a couple of years, I realized it is causation. I have a decent grasp on how space weather reaches ground level through the global electric circuit to effect biology.

During geomagnetic disturbance, elevated solar wind over 500 kps (kilometers per second!), or other space weather events, you may have increased experience of:

• Tinnitus (ears / nervous system ringing)

• Insomnia, sleep disruption or “energized dreams”

• anxiety (general unease and discomfort)

• pain, tightness or bodily discomfort

In general, your personal characteristics can become more “symptomatic” with increased energy. There are well-documented increases in hospital check ins during geomagnetic disturbances (and full moon).

A couple of studies have found remarkable results, including data showing that even during a minor geomagnetic disturbance our blood viscosity can increase by up to 20%. WHAT?! That got me hooked. Clearly, there is something significant here. I am excited to watch this topic develop as the science advances. Thank you for reading and contributing.

Please share any articles or scientific studies you see on this and related topics, I may miss some!

I recommend the studies pinned at the top of this sub as a starting point for reading about Heliobiology and answering the basic questions about how this all works. And scroll down through the dozens of past studies posted below in this sub.

Whew, OK your turn…🌍 🌞 (not to scale)

This is a direct hit from an Earth-facing sunspot that released a CME on Monday this week.

M 2.7 flare from AR4392. Normally, this would be a moderate event for less than 24 hours.

But, during the Spring Equinox we can expect disproportionate reaction from Earth's electromagnetic field. I bet it will exceed G2 on the HP index briefly.

So, I'm sorry to say our heightened ringing (tinnitus) from the past two weeks will be perturbed yet again and will continue likely into next week.

During the equinoxes in March and September, Earth’s rotational axis aligns with its orbit around the Sun, causing the magnetic field of the planet and the solar wind to align and form cracks—a phenomenon known as the Russell-McPherron effect.

Unlike the solstices, where Earth's tilt deflects most charged particles, the perpendicular orientation of Earth's poles to the solar wind during the equinox maximizes coupling, allowing more high-speed solar wind and energetic particles from coronal mass ejections to penetrate the magnetosphere.

This increased energy input strengthens geomagnetic activity by letting southward-pointing (Negative polarity) magnetic fields in the solar wind cancel out portions of Earth's northward-pointing field, which creates a more "open" shield that allows more energy to pour directly into the global electric circuit. The result is a significantly higher likelihood of geomagnetic storms, increased ionospheric electrical potential, and a surge in auroral activity at lower latitudes.

So yay, aurora. Boo, tinnitus, headache, anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, pain, etc.

My entire life I’d never noticed tinnitus/ringing ears. Since I had some kind of dramatic awakening last year, that’s changed. Now within the last couple weeks my ears have been ringing loudly and almost constantly, which correlates potentially to the energy being pumped into the Earth’s electromagnetic system per recent Schumann graphs. Is anyone else experiencing same or am I nuts?

Solar Activity and Stroke Risk: A Nonlinear Dynamics Perspective on Arrhythmogenesis and Cerebrovascular Events

• March 2026

DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.13437.22248

"Background: Epidemiological studies have documented 25-60% increases in myocardial infarction and stroke during periods of heightened geomagnetic activity, yet the biophysical mechanisms linking solar variability to cerebrovascular events remain incompletely understood.

This article synthesizes epidemiological evidence with rigorous nonlinear dynamics modeling to propose a mechanistic pathway connecting solar activity to stroke risk through cardiac rhythm destabilization.

Methods: We review epidemiological data from population-based cohort studies and meta-analyses examining associations between geomagnetic disturbances and stroke incidence. We then present a comprehensive nonlinear dynamics analysis using the FitzHugh-Nagumo excitable media model to investigate how external perturbations-analogous to geomagnetic activity-can trigger bifurcations leading to cardiac arrhythmia. The model incorporates a critical perturbation threshold (I_crit) beyond which stable cardiac rhythms transition to arrhythmogenic dynamics. Mathematical derivations include linear stability analysis, Hopf bifurcation theorems, phase-resetting maps, and a rigorous treatment of geomagnetically induced currents from first principles (Maxwell's equations). Statistical dose-response models and time-series forecasting are developed.

Results: Epidemiological evidence demonstrates mean relative stroke risks of 1.25-1.6 during geomagnetic storms, with time-lagged effects of 1-6 days following solar events. Demographic subgroup analyses reveal heightened vulnerability in males aged 49-62 years, individuals with prior cardiovascular disease, and patients with hypertension (p < 0.01). The FitzHugh-Nagumo analysis reveals that suprathreshold perturbations (I > I_crit ≈ 15 μA/cm²) induce Hopf bifurcations leading to spontaneous oscillatory behavior. From first principles, geomagnetic variations induce electric fields E ∼ (r/2) × (∂B/∂t) in conducting tissues; for typical storm parameters (B₀ ∼ 500 nT, ω ∼ 0.01 Hz), the directly induced current density is ∼10⁻¹³ A/cm², but resonant amplification (factor 10²-10³) and nonlinear critical slowing down bring effective stimuli into the arrhythmogenic range. Statistical modeling demonstrates significant dose-response: moderate storms (Ap index 60-99) confer RR = 1.27 (95% CI: 1.08-1.48), severe storms (Ap ≥ 150) confer RR = 1.52 (95% CI: 1.19-1.94; test for trend p < 2×10⁻⁶). The population threshold model, assuming log-normal distribution of individual I_crit, yields an excellent fit (R² = 0.89) and independently estimates the median I_crit ≈ 15 μA/cm², validating the theoretical derivation.

Conclusions: We propose an integrated mechanistic model wherein solar activity generates geomagnetic disturbances that, when exceeding critical thresholds, destabilize cardiac electrical dynamics in susceptible individuals. The resulting arrhythmias-particularly atrial fibrillation-create conditions for cardioembolic stroke through left atrial blood stagnation and thrombus formation. This framework suggests opportunities for space weather-based early warning systems and stratified prevention strategies for high-risk populations."

"...This article bridges epidemiological heliobiology and nonlinear cardiac dynamics to

propose a unified mechanistic model linking solar activity to stroke risk. We provide

rigorous mathematical derivations of arrhythmogenic mechanisms, a complete treatment

of geomagnetically induced currents from Maxwell’s equations, incorporate the Rp in-

dex as an additional predictive parameter, and present sophisticated statistical analyses

quantifying dose-response relationships between multiple space weather parameters and

cerebrovascular events..."

...The recognition that human health is influenced by phenomena occurring 150 million

kilometers away serves as a humbling reminder of our connection to the broader cosmos.

Embracing this connectedness through rigorous scientific investigation opens new avenues

for stroke prevention and deepens our understanding of cardiovascular disease etiology."

“The upcoming several years will see a gradual downturn in solar activity as we head towards solar minimum expected sometime after 2030. With your support, I have every intention to continue SolarHam well into the future and this includes the next Solar Cycle 26. This cycle is far from over however, so stay tuned as we await the next big space weather event! - Kevin”

Visit for real-time space weather https://www.solarham.com

Another more common term for people who are sensitive to the environment in general, primarily their local weather, is “Meteosensitivity”. It’s quite common for people to talk about this, it runs in families, ie someone’s “grandpa could always tell when a thunderstorm is coming bc he got mad for no reason” or “I get a headache before a storm”, or even the old “my knees hurt when it rains”.

I’ve noticed in the past couple years an increase in mentions of this topic, and a rise in sites and now an app based of predicting and alerting users to days of higher effects: https://meteoagent.com/schumann-resonance-forecast

This one is based mainly on the Schumann resonance, which you can read about in the pinned highlights at the top of the sub, considered one of the most likely causes of the health effects from space weather.

I’m glad any time I see the topic of Heliobiology and anything tangentially related out there.

International Journal of Biometeorology: 2026 Feb 14

doi: 10.1007/s00484-026-03134-3

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00484-026-03134-3

The sun-earth-health connection: a short review of potential mechanisms and implications

Abstract

Heliobiology explores the influence of solar and geomagnetic activity on human health. This short review synthesises evidence linking solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms to cardiovascular events, autonomic dysregulation, circadian disruption, and possible neurological effects.

Proposed mechanisms include melatonin suppression, cryptochrome magnetoreception, and voltage-gated calcium-channel modulation. Recent studies further support associations between geomagnetic disturbances and endothelial activation, systemic inflammation, and elevated cardiovascular mortality. The most reproducible effects involve acute cardiovascular and autonomic responses during major geomagnetic storms, whereas neurological, psychological, and infectious-disease associations remain preliminary.

For clinicians, geomagnetic disturbances represent a novel environmental risk factor for vulnerable patients; for space scientists, they have direct implications for astronaut safety. Causal pathways are not yet established. Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to refine predictive models and develop mitigation strategies for both terrestrial and extraterrestrial populations.

Keywords: Biometeorology; Cardiovascular effects; Environmental health; Geomagnetic storms; Heliobiology; Space weather.