Earth View — Parker Physics App

Earth Magnetosphere & Space Weather

A real-time 3D simulation of Earth's magnetic shield — from the bow shock where solar wind first strikes, through the compressed magnetosheath, magnetopause boundary, and out to the elongated magnetotail. Aurora, substorm dynamics, and Kp index are driven by live NOAA data.

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Bow Shock & Magnetosheath

The bow shock forms at roughly 13–14 Earth radii (Re) sunward, where supersonic solar wind (~400 km/s) is abruptly decelerated. The Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions heat and deflect plasma into the magnetosheath — visualized as orange-tinted shocked particles.

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Magnetopause (Shue Model)

The magnetopause boundary is calculated using the Shue et al. (1998) empirical model, parameterized by solar wind dynamic pressure and the IMF Bz component. Southward Bz compresses the dayside boundary; strong storms push it inside geostationary orbit (~6.6 Re).

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Magnetotail & Plasma Sheet

On the nightside, the magnetotail stretches to 80+ Re — far beyond the Moon's orbit. The central plasma sheet (high-density, ~1–5 keV particles) brightens during substorms as stored magnetic energy explosively reconnects and accelerates particles toward the poles.

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Aurora & Substorms

3D auroral curtains expand equatorward as Kp rises (Kp ≥ 5 = G1 storm). Color gradients reflect emission height: green O 557.7 nm at 100–150 km, shifting to purple N₂⁺ + red O 630 nm above 200 km. Substorm onset (McPherron heuristic) triggers a ripple flash across both ovals.

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3D Globe & Ground Effects

The interactive globe shows live earthquake events (USGS feed), geomagnetic storm impact zones, aurora visibility oval, and atmospheric layers. Overlays include field-aligned current regions and ground-level induction risk during severe storms.

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Live Geomagnetic Data

Kp index, Dst, IMF Bz, solar wind speed and density all update every 5 minutes from NOAA/SWPC. Storm levels follow the NOAA G1–G5 scale, from minor (Kp 5) to extreme (Kp 9), with real-time aurora visibility latitude estimates.

DragRotate camera around Earth

ScrollZoom in / out

LayersToggle bow shock, aurora, tail, field lines

InfoLive Kp, Bz, storm level readings

⚡ WeatherFull space weather data dashboard

📍 HereShow your location on the globe

⚡ Space Weather Dashboard ☀️ Solar Physics Engine 🌌 Heliosphere 3D

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Space Weather

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