Because we are normal people living in normal times, normal things are happening. Like the tabloid newspapers reporting that the Sun is "on lockdown," and that the Earth is doomed to a famine of insane weather and ... earthquakes, for some reason.
Well, you can relax. Nothing the Sun is currently doing will create an icy climate, famine, or earthquake. While humans are experiencing things that are definitely not right, the Sun is not doing anything unusual.
What could be happening is a very normal period in the Sun's 11-year cycle; It is called the solar minimum. And there is nothing to fear: If you are reading this, chances are you have already experienced several solar minima without even realizing it.
We are currently in the 24 solar cycle. We do not know precisely when the next solar minimum will occur, but we can largely predict it. In 2017, NASA noted that a solar minimum was expected in 2019-2020.
In December of last year, the NOAA Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel further reduced it, stating that "the solar minimum between cycles 24 and 25 will occur in April 2020 (6 months)."
So, we are already going through the solar minimum, or we are about to do it. This is what it really implies.
The solar cycle is based on the Sun's magnetic field, which rotates every 11 years, with its north and south magnetic poles shifting places. It is unknown what drives these cycles, recent research suggests it has to do with an 11.07-year planetary alignment, but the poles change when the magnetic field is at its weakest point, also known as the solar minimum.
Well, you can relax. Nothing the Sun is currently doing will create an icy climate, famine, or earthquake. While humans are experiencing things that are definitely not right, the Sun is not doing anything unusual.
What could be happening is a very normal period in the Sun's 11-year cycle; It is called the solar minimum. And there is nothing to fear: If you are reading this, chances are you have already experienced several solar minima without even realizing it.
We are currently in the solar 24 cycle. We do not know precisely when the next solar minimum will occur, but we can largely predict it. In 2017, NASA noted that a solar minimum was expected in 2019-2020.
In December of last year, the NOAA Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel further reduced it, stating that "the solar minimum between cycles 24 and 25 will occur in April 2020 (6 months)."
So, we are already going through the solar minimum, or we are about to do it. This is what it really implies.
The solar cycle is based on the Sun's magnetic field, which rotates every 11 years, with its north and south magnetic poles shifting places. It is unknown what drives these cycles, recent research suggests it has to do with an 11.07-year planetary alignment, but the poles change when the magnetic field is at its weakest point, also known as the solar minimum.
Because the Sun's magnetic field controls solar activity (sunspots, coronal mass ejections, and solar flares), the cycle is detectable to us as that activity changes. During solar minimum, there are, well, minimal sunspots and flares.
This gradually changes as the Sun rises to the solar maximum. The magnetic field strengthens, and sunspot and rash activity increases, before declining again for the next solar minimum.
Solar cycles are generally not noticed here on Earth. We can see more activity of auroras during solar maximum, since auroras are generated by solar activity. Increased solar activity can also affect radio communications and navigation satellites. People who closely observe the Sun will see more sunspots during solar maximum.
At a solar minimum, solar ultraviolet radiation decreases, but the effect of this mainly affects the stratosphere and higher altitudes. It causes Earth's atmosphere to contract slightly, reducing resistance to satellites. In contrast, the increase in UV radiation during solar maximum contributes to rain, but the effect on temperature is negligible.
There is also an increase in galactic cosmic rays from sources such as supernovae during solar minimum. Earth's atmosphere protects us on the surface from this radiation, which can increase the risk of cancer, but at higher altitudes radiation poses an additional danger to astronauts.
"During solar minimum, the Sun's magnetic field weakens and provides less protection against these cosmic rays," said astronomer Dean Pesnell of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in 2017. "It is
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