How to Use the SpaceNexus Space Weather Dashboard

The SpaceNexus Space Weather module integrates data from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center to give you a real-time view of solar activity and its potential impact on satellites, communications, and navigation systems.

Dashboard Overview

When you open Space Weather, you'll see several key sections:

• Current Conditions: Solar X-ray flux level, Kp index (geomagnetic activity), solar wind speed and density, and the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field
• Alerts & Warnings: Active NOAA alerts for geomagnetic storms, solar radiation storms, and radio blackouts. Color-coded by severity (G1-G5 for geomagnetic, S1-S5 for radiation, R1-R5 for radio)
• Aurora Forecast: Predicted aurora visibility based on current Kp index and your latitude. Links to the dedicated Aurora Forecast page for detailed viewing predictions

Key Metrics to Watch

• Kp Index (0-9): The most important number for satellite operators. On NOAA's scale, Kp 5 = minor storm (G1), Kp 7 = strong (G3), Kp 8 = severe (G4) and Kp 9 = extreme (G5). Set alerts at your threshold
• Solar X-ray Flux: Background level is A or B class. M-class flares affect HF radio. X-class flares are serious events
• Solar Wind Speed: Normal is 300-400 km/s. Over 600 km/s indicates high-speed stream activity
• Bz (southward): When Bz goes strongly negative (-10 nT or more), geomagnetic storm likelihood increases dramatically

Setting Up Alerts

Navigate to Alerts and create a Space Weather rule. You can set thresholds for Kp index, solar flare class, or solar wind speed. Alerts are delivered by email and, where your browser supports it, as push notifications.

Start monitoring at spacenexus.us/space-weather.