The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope was delayed due to strong winds and rain at the European spaceport. Space weather is another type of weather that could affect the telescope's journey to the moon. What does the space weather forecast look like?
NASA experts are keeping a close eye on three aspects of space weather to greenlight James Webb Space Telescope's launch: the global index of geomagnetic activity, the state of the Van Allen Belts and high-energy particles.
Jim Spann, space weather lead at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said in a statement that space weather can cause problems for what we're doing. We're going to have to pay a lot of attention to space weather.
The James Webb Space Telescope works in pictures.
How can space weather affect the telescope? What does the space weather forecast hold for tomorrow?
The Kp index is a measure of the magnetic field on Earth caused by the solar wind. The value is between 0 and 9. A rating above 4 is considered a storm. If that were to happen, the James Webb Space Telescope would have to stay put because it would affect the ability to communicate with Earth.
The Kp index won't stop the launch. According to SpaceWeatherLive.com, the forecast for tomorrow is between 1 and 3.
The amount of electrons trapped in the Van Allen Belts is monitored by the James Webb Space Telescope launch teams. The two doughnut-shaped regions are at altitudes of between 400 and 6,000 miles and between 8,400 and 36,000 miles.
Particles from the sun are trapped in the Van Allen Belts. When a solar storm hits the planet, the belts can get re-energized, which could cause problems for a passing craft by building up electric charge on its surface.
When you take something out of the dryer, do you get a zap? "Spann said that." When you charge the surface of a spaceship, that can happen.
Excess currents can cause a short circuit or affect the performance of solar panels during these zaps.
The James Webb Space Telescope teams will understand the risks because of the data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES- 17 satellite.
The solar energetic particles are very fast and can be ejected from the sun at speeds of thousands of miles per second. The spots from which solar flares can erupt are more common when there are active regions on the sun.
If a spaceship gets hit by an SEP, its computer can get confused, mixing up 0s for 1s in its code. There are no risks for the Christmas Day launch of the James Webb Space Telescope according to the Space Weather Prediction Center.
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