Yes. It streams from NOAA's real-time L1 solar-wind monitor and refreshes every minute, so it tracks the solar wind now.

When the wind's magnetic field points south (negative Bz) it links with Earth's field and pours energy in, driving geomagnetic storms and auroras.

No. NOAA's space-weather data is free and key-less; the saver only needs an internet connection.

How does this relate to Space Weather?

Space Weather shows the resulting aurora; Solar Wind shows the upstream conditions that cause it.

Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

How much warning does an L1 spacecraft give?

NOAA says DSCOVR can typically give 15 to 60 minutes of warning before a coronal mass ejection arrives. Faster plasma leaves less time.

What does a negative Bz mean?

It means the magnetic field carried by the solar wind points southward. That orientation is the one associated with energy entering Earth's magnetosphere and with geomagnetic storms.

Why can real-time values look jagged?

NOAA's real-time data carry no quality flags and can have interruptions, so brief spikes and dropouts can appear in the readings.

Solar Wind Screensaver

The Solar Wind screensaver is a live dashboard of the solar wind streaming past Earth — speed, density and the all-important Bz magnetic field — from NOAA's real-time monitor at the Earth–Sun L1 point. It's free, key-less, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the Solar Wind screensaver works

The saver streams NOAA's real-time solar-wind data from whichever spacecraft NOAA currently flies as its monitor at the Earth–Sun L1 point; the panel names the one in use.

It shows the wind speed in kilometres per second, the particle density, and the strength of the embedded magnetic field.

The Bz component — whether the field points north or south — is highlighted, because a southward Bz is what unlocks auroras.

Particles stream across the panel toward Earth, faster when the wind picks up, and the data refreshes every minute.

The L1 vantage point and space weather

The solar wind consists mainly of protons and electrons in a state known as a plasma, and the Sun's magnetic field is embedded in it and flows outward with it. In the plane of the planets the most common wind is slow, at about 400 km/s, while high-speed wind from coronal holes runs at about 500 to 800 km/s. Space weather impacts depend on the wind's speed, density and the direction of the embedded magnetic field.

The Sun-Earth L1 point lies about 1.5 million km from Earth, on the line toward the Sun, and spacecraft such as ACE, DSCOVR and SOHO have operated there. NOAA says DSCOVR can typically give a 15 to 60 minute warning before a coronal mass ejection reaches Earth; the exact lead time depends on how fast the plasma is moving.

Bz is the north-south component of the magnetic field carried by the wind. A southward (negative) Bz is the orientation that lets energy couple into Earth's magnetosphere most readily, which is why it is watched for storms and auroras. NOAA describes its real-time data as operational quality, with occasional interruptions and no quality flags for suspect values, so spikes and gaps can occur. A favourable reading does not promise aurora visibility from any given place.

A worked example

On a quiet day the wind idles near 400 km/s with Bz hovering around zero; when a gust arrives speed jumps and Bz swings south and red — the very condition that lights up auroras a day or two later.

Settings & tips

Accent recolours the gauges and particle stream.
Background sets the space backdrop.
A southward (negative) Bz, shown in red, is the key aurora trigger.

Frequently asked questions

Is the data live?: Yes. It streams from NOAA's real-time L1 solar-wind monitor and refreshes every minute, so it tracks the solar wind now.
Why does Bz matter?: When the wind's magnetic field points south (negative Bz) it links with Earth's field and pours energy in, driving geomagnetic storms and auroras.
Does it need a key?: No. NOAA's space-weather data is free and key-less; the saver only needs an internet connection.
How does this relate to Space Weather?: Space Weather shows the resulting aurora; Solar Wind shows the upstream conditions that cause it.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
How much warning does an L1 spacecraft give?: NOAA says DSCOVR can typically give 15 to 60 minutes of warning before a coronal mass ejection arrives. Faster plasma leaves less time.
What does a negative Bz mean?: It means the magnetic field carried by the solar wind points southward. That orientation is the one associated with energy entering Earth's magnetosphere and with geomagnetic storms.
Why can real-time values look jagged?: NOAA's real-time data carry no quality flags and can have interruptions, so brief spikes and dropouts can appear in the readings.

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