Activity On Our Sun Is Exceeding All Predictions: What Does This Mean For Earth?

Something is going on with our Sun! The central star of our solar system is showing unpredictable behaviour, scientists say. Official predictions claim that the current cycle of solar activity ought to be mild.

But there's a gap between what was predicted and what is happening in terms of solar activity. And this gap continues to become wider. To measure solar activity, scientists use sunspot counts. Real numbers are a lot higher than the ones predicted by the NOAA, NASA, and the International Space Environmental Service.

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What is going on with the Sun?

According to Science Alert, sunspot counts have actually consistently gone beyond predicted levels since September 2020. This means that our predictions were way off and that Sun is experiencing more activity than scientists could have anticipated.

The Sun has 11-year activity cycles that affect its magnetic field. Like every star cycle, this one has a significant peak and dip, known as solar maximum and solar minimum respectively - all calculated based on the number of sunspots.

NASA

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What are sunspots? Simply put, sunspots are temporary regions with extremely strong magnetic fields. It is at these sunspot sites that solar flares and coronal mass ejections are produced by magnetic field lines that break and reconnect.

What happens next?

In the current cycle, solar maximum is expected to take place sometime in July 2025. This is Solar Cycle 25. The previous cycle, Solar Cycle 24 had 114 sunspots, much lower than the average of 179.

NASA

Based on this, the Solar Cycle Prediction Panel believed that the 25th cycle would peak with 115 sunspots. Contrary to that, the Sun has experienced 61 sunspots in the last 18 months.

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If this goes on, some crazy solar storms could be headed Earth's way in the near-future. What does this mean? Solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the Sun can cause communication blackouts, fluctuation in power grids, and also cause auroras. But don't worry, humans are protected by Earth's atmosphere against dangerous radiation from the Sun.

The currently trajectory suggests that the ongoing cycle of solar activity could become one of the strongest ones on record. Only time will tell! Are you excited to see what we learn from the 25th Solar Cycle? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Starr, M. (2022b). Sunspot Activity on The Sun Is Seriously Exceeding Official Predictions. ScienceAlert.