Storms in Space
Storms in Space is the story of the mysterious region between Earth and the Sun, where violent storms rage unseen by human eyes. Disruption of spacecraft and satellites, television transmission failures and power blackouts are just a few of the effects of this powerful force of nature, caused by the charged particles and electromagnetic fields that dominate space. This is a highly readable synopsis of man's understanding of the space environment. The book discusses the similarities between storms on Earth and in space, and goes on to describe the causes and effects of space storms, and how they can be monitored by satellites and from observatories on Earth. The forecasting of space storms is presented, along with prospects for improved models in the future. This clear and engaging book will be valuable to space scientists, physicists, astronomers and anyone with an interest in understanding the phenomenon of space weather.
- Describes a fascinating, unseen world that is unknown to all but a handful of experts
- Written by a leading expert on space weather, from an intensely personal perspective
- Contains a unique interview with a professional space weatherman
Reviews & endorsements
"The writer's style is descriptive, helping the reader visualize what is actually unseen by the eye.... I enjoyed the book and recommend it for anyone who wants to learn about storms in space, their origin, and their impacts." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Product details
November 2012Paperback
9781107411531
162 pages
229 × 152 × 8 mm
0.23kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The cast of characters
- Vignettes of the storm
- 1. Two kinds of weather
- 2. The saga of the storm
- 3. Weather stations in space
- 4. Lights in the night: the signature of the storm
- 5. A walking tour of the magnetosphere
- 6. The sun: where it all begins
- 7. Nowcasting and forecasting storms in space
- 8. Technology and the risks from storms in space
- 9. A conversation with Joe Allen
- 10. Manned exploration and space weather hazards
- 11. The present and future of space weather forecasting
- Mathematical appendix. A closer look
- Glossary
- Figure captions.