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Energy from the Sun includes visible radiation in all its colors of the spectrum, and invisible radiation including infrared, ultraviolet, and other energy types. Many of the optical phenomena we observe in our sky are due to how the Sun's light interacts with our atmosphere but the light we see is only a part of the total energy received.
Without the Sun, life on Earth would not be possible. The energy we receive from the Sun provides light and heat, drives our planet's winds and ocean currents, helps crops grow, and more.
Space weather is storms of electromagnetic and particle radiation from the Sun that are hurtling through space at close to the speed of light. Predicting space weather can help us prepare for potential damage or disruptions that may occur to infrastructure here on Earth, or to satellites orbiting above Earth.
Resource Type: Information
Why is it so difficult to predict the weather?
In this newsletter we're highlighting some activities and articles about Space Weather and how it affects the Earth
Wildfires are becoming more and more part of our daily lives in the western part of the United States and significantly impact our air quality.
NCAR scientist Nihanth Cherukuru's experience with Doppler Lidars, data visualization, computer programming, and game development.
Andrew Green, an Aircraft Mechanic, will tell us about what happens at the NCAR Research Aviation Facility.
Alice DuVivier, a scientist in NCAR's Climate & Global Dynamics Laboratory, studies polar sea ice and how it changes both seasonally and over longer periods of time.