Space Weather

Read this article on space weather caused by the sun and answer the questions that follow.

Questions

Summarize the types of “space weather” and their causes and describe how each might contribute to conditions on Earth.
Explain “sun spots” in your own words. What are they, how do they form, and how can they affect Earth?
How do coronal mass ejections cause auroras and disrupt communications on Earth?
How do we know what the sun is doing? Briefly summarize the programs responsible for this information.

Drag and drop to match the descriptions of each type of space weather to the images below.

An intense winter storm with heavy snowfall, winds of at least 35 miles per hour, and very low visibility.

A winter storm caused by freezing rain and lots of ice. It has gentle rains that freeze and make surfaces very dangerous.

A storm caused when cold, dry air passes over warm lake water causing evaporation. The warmer, wetter air rises, rapidly cools, causing local snow showers downwind of the lake.