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Storms in Space, first published in 2001, is the story of the mysterious region between Earth and the Sun, where violent storms rage unseen by human eyes. Disruption of spacecraft and satellites, television transmission failures and power blackouts are just a few of the effects of this powerful force of nature, caused by the charged particles and electromagnetic fields that dominate space. This is a highly readable synopsis of man's understanding of the space environment. The book discusses the similarities between storms on Earth and in space, and goes on to describe the causes and effects of space storms, and how they can be monitored by satellites and from observatories on Earth. The forecasting of space storms is presented, along with prospects for improved models in the future. This clear and engaging book will be valuable to space scientists, physicists, astronomers and anyone with an interest in understanding the phenomenon of space weather.
Introduction
The cast of characters
Vignettes of the storm
1. Two kinds of weather
2. The saga of the storm
3. Weather stations in space
4. Lights in the night: the signature of the storm
5. A walking tour of the magnetosphere
6. The sun: where it all begins
7. Nowcasting and forecasting storms in space
8. Technology and the risks from storms in space
9. A conversation with Joe Allen
10. Manned exploration and space weather hazards
11. The present and future of space weather forecasting
Mathematical Appendix. A closer look
Glossary
Figure captions
"… a very readable account of space weather storms and their effects."
- Dr David Boteler, Episode
"[John Freeman] has taken the rather esoteric topic of the plasma weather in our near-space environment and presented it in a gripping and easily understandable fashion. … Storms in Space works on many levels. It is an engaging, well-illustrated, eminently readable layman's introduction to this important aspect of solar-terrestrial relations."
- David W. Hughes, Times Higher Education Supplement
