As part of this year's International Astronomical Union Symposium, Tanja Amerstorfer (Austrian Space Weather Office, GeoSphere Austria, Graz, Austria) will deliver a lecture entitled 'What is Space Weather and how do we forecast it?'. The event will be held in the JU Auditorium Maximum at ul. Krupnicza 33.

Space weather plays a profound role in shaping the environment of our solar system. This lecture aims to unravel the mysteries surrounding space weather, exploring its definition, impacts, and the sophisticated methods employed to forecast it. Space weather encompasses a variety of phenomena, including solar flares, coronal mass ejections, solar energetic particles, and cosmic radiation, all of which can have significant implications for technology, infrastructure, and even human health. Understanding and predicting these phenomena is crucial for safeguarding our satellites, power grids, and communication systems from the disruptive effects of space weather events.

The lecture will delve into the fundamental processes driving space weather, drawing connections between solar activity and its effects on Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. Attendees will explore the tools and techniques used by scientists and forecasters to monitor the sun and space environment, from ground-based observatories to space-based satellites. Furthermore, the lecture will highlight the challenges inherent in space weather forecasting, including the need for continuous monitoring and refinement of predictive models. By the end of this lecture, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the dynamic nature of space weather and the critical role of forecasting in mitigating its impacts on our increasingly interconnected world.

Admission is free, but it is necessary to register by e-mail at popular-lectures@oa.uj.edu.pl

Tanja Amerstorfer is part of the Austrian Space Weather Office of the GeoSphere Austria, being the Federal Institute for Geology, Geophysics, Climatology and Meteorology. She has longtime experience in modeling the evolution of coronal mass ejections and predicting their arrival at Earth, other planets and various satellites in the inner solar system. Her special focus lies on working with data from the heliospheric imagers from the Solar TErestrial RElations Observatory, which serve as prototypes for the ESA Vigil mission, to be launched around 2030. Her recent interests are the improvement of real-time predictions of Earth-directed solar storms with the support of machine learning and computer vision tools, and the development and deployment of the space weather forecasting pipelines at the Austrian Space Weather Office.