Interplanetary magnetic field (L1)

What this shows

The solar wind's magnetic field, measured at the L1 Lagrange point about 1.5 million km from Earth, 30–60 minutes before it reaches the magnetosphere. A sustained southward (negative) Bz is the condition most favourable to a geomagnetic storm. The light band around each line is that interval's minimum–maximum range, so sharp swings survive the averaging. The dashed line marks a change of the spacecraft delivering the data.

Product fact sheet

Source

NOAA SWPC, Real-Time Solar Wind

Spacecraft

Whichever is active (SOLAR1, DSCOVR, ACE)

Original cadence

1 minute

Coordinates

GSM

Licence

Public domain (NOAA)

Used by

Global dB/dt model (in development)

On the provider's site

NOAA SWPC