The Space Weather Monitor program is an education project to build and distribute inexpensive ionospheric monitors to students around the world. The monitors detect solar flares and other ionospheric disturbances. Two versions of the monitor exist - one simple and low-cost, named SID, and one research quality, called AWESOME.

Earth's ionosphere reacts strongly to the intense x-ray and ultraviolet radiation released by the Sun during a solar event. By using a receiver to monitor the signal strength from distant VLF transmitters, and noting unusual changes as the waves bounce off the ionosphere, students around the world can directly monitor and track these Sudden Ionospheric Disturbances (SIDs).

Earth from the low ionosphere Photo courtesy Jorgen Hedin

Stanford's Solar Center, in conjunction with the Electrical Engineering Department's Very Low Frequency group and local educators, have developed inexpensive SID monitors that students can install and use at their local high schools. Students "buy in" to the project by building their own antenna, a simple structure costing less than $10 and taking a couple hours to assemble. Data collection and analysis is handled by a local PC, which need not be fast or elaborate. Because there are VLF transmitters scattered around the world, the monitors can be placed virtually anywhere there is access to power. Stanford is also providing a centralized data repository and blog site where students can exchange and discuss data.

Our SID monitors were inspired by the AAVSO SID Program and the AWESOME monitors derived from the HAIL Program. For more information on related projects and websites, visit our references page.

The Tracking Solar Flares activity has been added.

Read our article Distributing space weather monitoring instruments and educational materials worldwide for IHY 2007: The AWESOME and SID project in Advances in Space Research (COSPAR)

An interactive map of SID & AWESOME sites is now available.

The International Heliophysical Year (IHY), 2007-2009, Organizing Committee has designated our Space Weather Monitors as supported projects of the IHY. We have placed over 300 monitors throughout the world!

Image Credits: Earth image courtesy of NASA.
Earth from the lower ionopshere courtesy Jorgen Hedin and Michael Erneland, taken from an atmospheric balloon high about Rovaniemi, Finland.
IHY UN Opening Ceremonies photo by Dr. Pitan Singhasaneh