The Solar Cycle 25
The changes
in the sun’s magnetic field or aurora have been detected since the 17th
century and are measured with respect to the appearance of dark spots on the
sun. The changes are observed every 11 years as the levels of solar radiation,
solar flares, and size and number of dark spots sync up. Currently, We Are In
The 25th cycle of the solar cycle or commonly known as Cycle 25, in
astrophysics. The current cycle began in December of 2019. The standard to
measure the solar activity is relevant to the number of solar spots as the
increased radiation activity increases with the greater number of spots. The
maximum number of sunspots at any given cycle is called solar maximum, whereas
the lowest one is called solar minimum.
As the solar
flares and eruption on the sun vary with the solar cycle, it can also affect
the weather and communication on the earth. For example, the solar bursts
release a huge amount of radiation which could potentially affect the radio
communication in the top atmosphere level. These solar flares are predicted by
scientists after thorough research and can help greatly in preparing to avoid
any unforeseen challenges in communication. It has also been found with the
research that magnetic changes in the sun in due to a change or flip in the
North and south pole, which happens approximately every 11 years. This pole
reversing is due to the continuous internal movement of the sun core and thus
causes changes on the surface, resulting in a continuously varying magnetic
field. Although the changing pattern is unpredictable, it is expected that 2020
is the year for solar minimum and will give greater time to learn more about
these patterns.
Figure 1 11 Years
Cycle Span Of A Sun (Image Credit: NASA)
The dark
spots are basically cooler gas spots and appear darker as compared to the
surrounding when hot regions. In fact, these gases are not cold but have a lesser temperature which doesn’t allow the light to pass through the hand, thus resulting
in a dark spot. These gases are a result of magnetic field changes and result
in a huge amount of energy release, which is called Coronal Mass Ejections (CME)
and can drastically affect the space atmosphere as high-velocity hydrogen gas
particles are released into space.
The
researchers are putting in a lot of work to understand this phenomenon better
as these changes can result in huge magnetic storms, thus affecting radio and
satellite communication on earth and space stations. They can also result in
blackout on solar station power grids, which then affects the navigation and communication
errors and are expected to severely damage the astronauts during their space
missions.
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