Integrating space weather into secondary physics: insights from the Mother’s Day solar storm of 2024

Abstract The geomagnetic storm of 10–11 May 2024, popularly known as the Mother’s Day storm, was one of the most intense space-weather events of the current solar cycle, reaching G5 (Extreme) levels on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scale with a Dst (disturbance storm-time) index minimum of −412 nT. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the storm’s global and regional responses in vertical total electron content, highlighting hemispheric asymmetries and variations in recovery time. Using freely available data sources and public-domain platforms, we demonstrate how this event provides an authentic, real-world context for exploring electromagnetic concepts such as plasma, field–particle interactions, and space-weather effects on communication systems. The pedagogical framework emphasises inquiry-based and data-driven learning approaches that allow students to connect textbook physics with natural phenomena.