NASA’s Space Umbrella Project: Earth’s magnetic field versus solar winds
There is a continuous flow of charged particles outward from the Sun. This flow, known as the solar wind, moves through space and reaches Earth every day.
When it arrives, it meets the planet’s magnetic field, an invisible field that bends and redirects most of this energy away from the surface.
The boundary between the two is active and changing. Since 2015, NASA has been investigating this region through its Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission, or MMS.
The Space Umbrella Project invites members of the public to review mission data and help identify the moments when solar activity and Earth’s magnetosphere interact most strongly, contributing to ongoing research into solar storms and space weather.
NASA’s Space Umbrella Project Tracks solar wind interactions near earth
The MMS spacecraft was launched to observe a process called magnetic reconnection.
This happens when the magnetic fields of the Sun and Earth connect for a short time, then break apart, causing a burst of energy.
This process is small in scale but significant in impact. It plays a role in shaping auroras and driving space-weather conditions that can extend into near-Earth space.
Scientists monitor these exchanges because the energy released can disturb satellites, GPS signals, and radio systems.
Intense solar events expose astronauts working beyond the thickest part of Earth’s atmosphere to high levels of radiation.
The data collected by MMS provides detailed measurements, but it takes time to sort through.
Public volunteers review NASA data through the Space Umbrella Project
The Space Umbrella Project was established to broaden that effort. Volunteers are asked to examine visual data from MMS devices and mark periods where strong interactions appear.
A brief online tutorial explains how to identify when the spacecraft is inside the magnetosphere and when it is passing through more turbulent regions affected by the solar wind. No scientific training is required.
Work is observational. Many smaller contributions build into a larger dataset that researchers can use to refine models of solar storms.
This work does not promise dramatic discoveries. It slowly adds the pieces to a broader understanding of how the Sun affects technology and human activity in space.
