The sun is not a quiet place; it is stormy and ever-changing and affects the Earths environment in many places. It is the source the Northern lights - a stunning phenomenon embedded in the mythology of many cultures and has been characterized as everything from dancing spirits to God’s anger. However, solar storm can also be harmful. Until about 100 years ago, solar storms could pass by without humans noticing the damage these storms do. Today it’s a different story. They can cause power outages and disrupt radio communications. More than 1,000 satellites are operating in space and the loss of a signal from any one of them can have serious consequences on weather forecasts, communication, navigation, mapping, search and rescue, research, and military surveillance. Furthermore, over many years, numerous attempts have been made to link various aspects of solar variability to changes in the Earth’s climate. there are several ways the Sun may impact the climate: through the electromagnetic radiation (Total Solar Irradiance), through the direct solar wind via magnetosphere/atmospheric coupling, and/or through galactic cosmic radiation, which is modulated by solar shielding and possibly influences cloud formation. Thus, a good knowledge of our changing Sun and the Sun-Earth connection is extremely important. The lunch time speaker will be Pål Brekke, Norwegian Space Centre. A limited number of box lunches will be provided. For additional information, please contact: Susan Baltuch (e-mail: sbaltuch@ucar.edu).

Within the U.S. meteorological community, there is increasing cooperation between government agencies and commercial providers. With the realization that the relationship can be synergistic, resources are being brought together from both groups in a vibrant partnership that recognizes and embraces the needs and skills of each member. These experiences can and should be applied to the space weather enterprise Society is totally reliant on technology that is susceptible to space weather, therefore the ability to understand and predict space weather is now an important component of the National Weather Enterprise. Space Weather refers to the variable conditions on the Sun and in the space environment that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems, as well as endanger life or health. Most space weather occurs because emissions from the Sun influence the space environment around Earth, as well as other planets. For example, space weather can significantly impact the electric power industry, aviation, Global Navigation Satellite Systems applications, communication systems, satellite operations, and space flight. Space weather can also affect national security and emergency response systems. A commercial space weather capability is burgeoning in the U.S., and both commercial and university providers have skills, tools and products that complement or exceed those of government labs. There are also government research efforts and product development that competes with commercial activities. Given the current economic climate, it is imperative to have a synergistic and cooperative Space Weather Enterprise consisting of multiple stakeholders, including small commercial, large commercial, and government partners. In this interactive panel session, the current state of the U.S. Space Weather Enterprise and ideas for future cooperation between stakeholders will be discussed. The discussion will include participants from various government agencies, and both small and large commercial companies. The following questions will be addressed: 1) How does the government interact with and obtain commercial services in the meteorology sector, and is there a parallel for space weather services? 2) How can the AMS Enterprise Commission help the Space Weather Enterprise evolve and avoid some of the problems and misunderstandings that have already been addressed and overcome by the meteorological community during the past 10 years? 3) How can we ensure an appropriate partnership in the development and delivery of products? 4) How can we ensure common operational practices for data exchange between government and commercial operational centers? 5) How can we ensure that the commercial sector has a voice in determining the direction of the national space weather enterprise?