The Sun and Space Weather: Deeper Dive

The Sun and Space Weather is a live, 15-minute, family-friendly program hosted by Morrison Planetarium presenters in Hohfeld Hall. Showtimes include Monday-Friday at 1:40 pm, and Saturday-Sunday at 11:30 am, 1:40 pm, and 3:50 pm. See full schedule at the Daily Calendar.

What are solar eclipses and how can you observe one? Explore more with the links below.

• A video from National Geographic with the basics of solar eclipses
• How to view a solar eclipse safely
• Where you can see the 2023 annular and 2024 total solar eclipses: 2023 and 2024
• We can see the Sun’s corona during a total solar eclipse. What is the corona and why is it so hot?
• American Astronomical Society eclipse resources
• Interactive 2024 eclipse from NASA Eyes
• A video from Exploratorium about how we predict eclipses
• Resources from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
  • Eclipses Around the World
• Eclipse coloring sheets: 
  • What's eating the Sun?
  • What's eating the Sun? (Toad)
  • What's eating the Sun? (Wolf)

There is a lot of activity on the Sun that can cause space weather. What are solar flares, solar wind, sunspots, and more? Explore more with the links below.

• NASA’s solar storm and space weather FAQs
• The difference between a coronal mass ejection (CME) and a flare
• How solar wind affects Earth and how we’re learning about it

Space weather has a lot to do with magnetic fields. What are magnetic fields? Explore more with the link below.

• Some basics about magnets and Earth’s magnetic field from National Geographic

You can get involved with solar science by participating in a community science project. Community science is a global movement through which scientists and non-scientists alike make observations, collect data, and help answer some of our planet's most pressing questions. Explore a project with the links below.

• Join the hunt for solar jets.
• Help track active regions on the Sun
• Listen to the sounds of space with the HARP project
• Have you seen the Northern Lights (Aurora)? Help track them here!
• Studying how eclipses affect life on Earth

You can fly around with the same software we use in the planetarium at home using the free, open-source planetarium software OpenSpace!