An Introduction to Space Weather and the Space Weather Prediction Center

As part of the Your Place In Space initiative, the National Weather Service invites you to explore their space-inspired K-12 STEM resources on its agency website. We hope you find helpful materials that equip and empower your students to discover, explore, and create their place in space! 

We rely on advanced technology for almost everything we do today. Satellite communications, GPS applications, and the electric power grid provide the backbone to our Nation’s economic vitality and national security. This technology however, is vulnerable to a threat from space —  our Sun. Eruptions from the Sun can have a profound impact on society. In Boulder, Colorado NOAA space weather forecasters maintain a constant vigil on the Sun, alerting a diverse customer base when storms are imminent. Operators from many sectors will take mitigating actions to protect the critical infrastructure that we have come to depend on.