Forecasting Geomagnetic Conditions in near-Earth space

Geomagnetic conditions in near-Earth space have been a constantly evolving scientific field, especially during the latest years when the dependence of our everyday life on space environment has significantly increased. The scientific community managed to implement centers for the continuous monitoring of the geomagnetic conditions which resulted into short and long term forecasting of the planetary geomagnetic index Ap. In this work, the centers that have been established and are in operational mode in Russia (IZMIRAN), Greece (Athens), Kazakhstan (Almaty) and Bulgaria (Sofia) are presented. The methods that have been used for the forecasting of Ap index are demonstrated and the forecasted results in comparison to the actual Ap measurements are also discussed.