1. Overview of Sun-Earth Connections Fundamental Ideas from SEC Why Should Teachers Care? The sunspots are coming, the sunspots are coming….Solar Maximum is Here!

2. Fundamental Concepts from SEC The Sun is dynamic We live in the atmosphere of the Sun Earth responds to the changing sun -- that response is known as space weather Scientists study the Sun-Earth Connection using data from spacecraft, ground stations, supercomputers, and rocket experiments

3. The Sun is dynamic, not constant Our Sun is a big, hot, massive star It has cycles -- sunspots, fast and slow solar wind, magnetic field reversals, irradiance -- time scales from seconds to a million years Quiet features -- solar wind, rotation, emitting different radiations/wavelengths It has the astrophysical equivalent of storms and weather -- CMEs, flares, prominences, filaments, radio bursts

4. We live in the atmosphere of the Sun Space is not a vacuum - filled by dynamic, blustery solar wind extending far beyond the planets Interaction between the solar wind and the Earth's magnetic field produces a cavity around Earth -- the magnetosphere Solar wind/system carves a place in the galaxy/interplanetary space

5. Earth responds to the changing sun That response is known as space weather Space (particularly around Earth) is a tough place to live and work Effects of SEC activity are visible at Earth - - aurora and airglow are examples Space weather effects our systems and society, principally technology