1. NOAA Space Environment Center The Status of Solar Cycle 23 Joe Kunches Chief, Space Weather Operations NOAA Space Environment Center Boulder, Colorado ILA 31 st Annual Convention Washington DC October 30, 2002

2. Spooky Space Weather Stories!

3. NOAA Space Environment Center

5. The Thermosphere and Ionosphere

6. Three Types of Space Weather Events X-Rays and Radio Waves: Arrive in 8 Minutes Last minutes to hours Increases ionosphere density Systems Affected: Radio Communications Navigation

7. NOAA Space Environment Center

8. Three Types of Space Weather Events X-Rays and Radio Waves: Arrive in 8 Minutes Last minutes to hours Increases ionosphere density Systems Affected: Radio Communications Navigation Energetic Particles: Arrive in 30 Minutes to 24 hours Last several days Systems Affected: Astronauts Spacecraft Airlines Radio Communications Navigation

9. NOAA Space Environment Center

10. Three Types of Space Weather Events X-Rays and Radio Waves: Arrive in 8 Minutes Last minutes to hours Increases ionosphere density Systems Affected: Radio Communications Navigation Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs): Arrive 1- 4 Days later Last a day or two Produce Geomagnetic Storms at Earth Systems Affected: Radio Communications Navigation Electric Power Grids Pipelines Energetic Particles: Arrive in 30 Minutes to 24 hours Last several days Systems Affected: Astronauts Spacecraft Airlines Radio Communications Navigation

11. NOAA Space Environment Center

20. Ultraviolet Corona EIT, October 25, 2002

21. NOAA Space Environment Center

25. Summary Solar Cycle 23 is now 30 months past maximum X-ray flares and geomagnetic storms have been down Proton events have been up slightly Looking forward to Solar Cycle 24

26. parting shot … Kanzelhoe Solar Observatory, Austria December 1, 2000