This report is an introduction to solar-terrestrial phenomena for those with no special background in astrophysics or solar astronomy. Discussions of physics have been kept to a minimum, with emphasis on phenomonology instead. An individual completely unfamiliar with solar events should, after reading this volume, be able to read and understand the SESC Report and Forecast of Solar Geophysical Activity and be able to apply its contents to his particular area of concern. This volume is also intended as a quick reference work for Skylab ATM Principal Investigator Teams to assist them in using the ATM data book. For that reason, a list of abbreviations used in forecasts and observatory reports is included. Subjects discussed are solar structure and processes, solar activity, and solar-terrestrial relations. There is a brief description of the Space Environment Services Center's activities.

This volume, The Sun to the Earth-and Beyond: Panel Reports, is a compilation of the reports from five National Research Council (NRC) panels convened as part of a survey in solar and space physics for the period 2003-2013. The NRC's Space Studies Board and its Committee on Solar and Space Physics organized the study. Overall direction for the survey was provided by the Solar and Space Physics Survey Committee, whose report, The Sun to the Earth-and Beyond: A Decadal Research Strategy in Solar and Space Physics, was delivered to the study sponsors in prepublication format in August 2002. The final version of that report was published in June 2003. The panel reports provide both a detailed rationale for the survey committee's recommendations and an expansive view of the numerous opportunities that exist for a robust program of exploration in solar and space physics.

This updated introductory textbook, with added learning features, explains how the Sun influences the Earth and its near-space environment.