Framework for Heliophysics Education
Big Idea 1.2
Heliophysics
Big Idea 1.2
The Sun is active and can impact technology on Earth via Space Weather.
Auroral beads seen from the International Space Station on Sept. 17, 2011. NASA studies aurora as they are visible markers of space weather processes around Earth. The Sun’s constant outflow of solar wind fills space with a thin wash of particles, fields and plasma. This solar wind, along with other solar events like giant explosions called coronal mass ejections, influences the very nature of space and can interact with the magnetic systems of Earth and other worlds. Such effects also change the radiation environment through which our spacecraft travel. Close to Earth, such space weather can interfere with satellite electronics, communications and GPS signals, and even – when extreme – utility grids on Earth.
Credits: NASA
Have leaners investigate this heliophysics big idea with the guiding questions below.
Introductory: A younger learner (K-5), or a learner new to the subject matter.
Intermediate: A middle-aged learner (6-8), or a learner that has some familiarity with the subject matter.
Advanced: An older learner (9-12+), or a learner that has a lot of experience with the subject matter.
Heliophysics Resource Database
Use the guiding questions above to explore resources at each level or go directly to our database to search for resources by level, NGSS performance expectation, topic, and mission.
Resource Database
