Space Weather Effects on SOHO and its Space Weather Warning Capabilities

Abstract

Since its launch on 2 December 1995, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory(SOHO) has provided an unparalleled breadth and depth of information about the Sun, from its interior, through the hot and dynamic atmosphere, and out to the solar wind. In addition SOHO has several times demonstrated its leading role in the early-warning system for space weather. SOHO is in a halo orbit around L1 Lagrangian point where it views the Sun 24 hours a day. Thus, it is situated outside the Earth’s protective magnetosphere which shields other satellites from high energy particles and the solar wind. We present a summary of the observed effects on the instruments and electronics on SOHO throughout the mission. In particular we focus on a number of large particle events during the recent years while the Sun was approaching maximum activity, and how they affected both the scientific data as well as hardware components.