Propagation

Ionosphere-and-Magnetosphere

“The ionosphere (/ˈɒnəˌsfɪər/[1][2]) is the ionized part of Earth’s upper atmosphere, from about 60 km (37 mi) to 1,000 km (620 mi) altitude, a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important role in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere. It has practical importance because, among other functions, it influences radio propagation to distant places on the Earth

Eugene Parker proposed the idea of the solar wind, with the term ‘magnetosphere‘ being proposed by Thomas Gold in 1959 to explain how the solar wind interacted with the Earth’s magnetic field. The later mission of Explorer 12 in 1961 led by the Cahill and Amazeen observation in 1963 of a sudden decrease in magnetic field strength near the noon-time meridian, later was named the magnetopause. By 1983, the International Cometary Explorerobserved the magnetotail, or the distant magnetic field.”

Live solar data

Information from N0NBH



You can also see solar images at the NASA website.

ITURHFProp   G4FKH’s new propagation predictions tool Click the button below to start the application.