How to get Solar data from NGDC

The Solar and Upper Atmosphere group at NGDC has worked extensively to bring many datasets to you free of charge. We are also exploring ways to most effectively bring these data to you. We offer data via FTP, and through our interactive database, Space Physics Interactive Data Resource (SPIDR). SPIDR allows users to search and plot data. We are continually adding new and recent data to our on-line archives.

If you need help navigating our FTP site, the paper Solar Databases for Global Change Models written by Solar & Upper Atmosphere group staff may be of assistance. It briefly describes some of the data sets offered on-line. Also, many data directories on our FTP site have read.me files or format files (.fmt) which also may be of assistance.

December 2005 UPDATE: We are still developing a web interface for the different datasets. This gives an inventory of what is available, along with some descriptive text. As of December 2005, about three fourths of the web links are completed. If you find any problems, please contact . You can go directly to the ftp access directory and bypass the web interface if desired.

go to Solar Data Services Home