Solar Weather Monitor

# Solar Weather Monitor 🌞

Track space weather conditions in real-time! Monitor solar flares, geomagnetic storms, aurora forecasts, and solar wind data from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.

## Features

🌞 **Current Conditions** - Real-time space weather status 📅 **3-Day Forecast** - Predict upcoming solar activity 🌌 **Aurora Forecast** - Will you see the Northern Lights? 🌊 **Solar Wind** - Track solar wind magnetic field 🚨 **Alerts** - Active space weather warnings 📊 **Summary** - Quick comprehensive overview

Perfect for: - 📻 Ham radio operators - 🌌 Aurora chasers & photographers - 🛰️ Satellite operators - ⚡ Power grid operators - 🌍 Space weather enthusiasts

## Usage

### Current Space Weather

```bash python3 solar-weather.py current ```

**Output:** ``` 🌞 Space Weather Conditions 2026-01-27 18:38:00 UTC

📻 R0: none ✅ Radio Blackouts (Solar Flares)

☢️ S0: none ✅ Solar Radiation Storm

🌍 G0: none ✅ Geomagnetic Storm ```

### 3-Day Forecast

```bash python3 solar-weather.py forecast ```

Shows today, tomorrow, and day after with probability percentages for solar events.

### Aurora Forecast

```bash python3 solar-weather.py aurora ```

**Output:** ``` 🌌 Aurora Forecast

Current Conditions: Geomagnetic: none Solar Wind Bz: -2 nT

Tomorrow (2026-01-28): Geomagnetic: minor

🔮 Aurora Outlook: ⚠️ MODERATE - Aurora possible at high latitudes ```

### Solar Wind Data

```bash python3 solar-weather.py solarwind ```

**Output:** ``` 🌊 Solar Wind Magnetic Field Time: 2026-01-27 18:36:00.000 Bt: 8 nT (Total Magnitude) Bz: -2 nT (North/South Component)

✅ Slightly negative Bz ```

**Note:** Negative Bz (especially < -5 nT) is favorable for aurora activity!

### Active Alerts

```bash python3 solar-weather.py alerts ```

Shows active space weather watches, warnings, and alerts from NOAA.

### Quick Summary

```bash python3 solar-weather.py summary ```

Comprehensive overview of current conditions, solar wind, and tomorrow's forecast.

## Understanding Space Weather Scales

NOAA uses three scales to measure space weather severity:

### R Scale - Radio Blackouts (Solar Flares) - **R0**: No impact - **R1-R2**: Minor/Moderate - HF radio degradation - **R3-R5**: Strong/Severe/Extreme - HF radio blackout

### S Scale - Solar Radiation Storms - **S0**: No impact - **S1-S2**: Minor/Moderate - Satellite anomalies possible - **S3-S5**: Strong/Severe/Extreme - Satellite damage, astronaut radiation

### G Scale - Geomagnetic Storms (Aurora!) - **G0**: No storm - **G1-G2**: Minor/Moderate - Aurora at high latitudes - **G3-G5**: Strong/Severe/Extreme - **Aurora visible at mid-latitudes!**

## Example Prompts for Clawdbot

- *"What are current space weather conditions?"* - *"Is there an aurora forecast for tonight?"* - *"Show me the solar wind data"* - *"Any geomagnetic storm warnings?"* - *"Give me a space weather summary"* - *"Will I see aurora in [location]?"*

## JSON Output

Add `--json` to any command for structured data:

```bash python3 solar-weather.py current --json python3 solar-weather.py aurora --json ```

## Data Source

All data comes from **NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC)**: - Official US government space weather monitoring - Real-time updates - Free public API - https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

## Tips for Aurora Watchers 🌌

**Best conditions for aurora:** 1. **Geomagnetic Storm** (G1 or higher) ✅ 2. **Negative Bz** (< -5 nT) ✅ 3. **Clear, dark skies** 🌙 4. **High latitude** (or mid-latitude during major storms)

**When to watch:** - Check `aurora` command daily - Watch for G-scale warnings - Monitor solar wind Bz component - Peak activity often 1-2 hours after sunset

## Ham Radio Operators 📻

**HF propagation:** - **R-scale events** disrupt HF radio - **Solar flares** cause sudden ionospheric disturbances - Check `current` before contests/DXing - Monitor `alerts` for radio blackout warnings

## Future Ideas

- Location-based aurora visibility - Push notifications for major events - Historical storm data - Solar flare predictions - Satellite pass warnings during storms

Happy space weather watching! 🌞⚡🌌