(Daily News Scan - DNS English) What is Solar Cycle?
The scientists from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have predicted about the new solar cycle. This new Solar Cycle which is called as Solar Cycle 25, has already begun as per the scientist. The Solar cycles have implications for life and technology on Earth as well as astronauts in space.
In this DNS WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE Solar Cycle and how do the scientists track solar activity.
The Sun’s surface is a very active space. Electrically charged gases on its surface generate areas of powerful magnetic forces, which are called magnetic fields.
Since the gases on the Sun’s surface are constantly moving, these magnetic fields can get stretched, twisted and tangled creating motion on the surface, which is referred to as solar activity. The Sun's magnetic field goes through a cycle, called the solar cycle.
Every 11 years or so, the Sun's magnetic field completely flips. This means that the Sun's north and south poles switch places. Then it takes about another 11 years for the Sun’s north and south poles to flip back again.
How to track the solar cycle?
The best way to track the solar cycle is by counting the number of sunspots. The beginning of a solar cycle is a solar minimum, or when the Sun has the least sunspots. Over time, solar activity—and the number of sunspots—increases.
The middle of the solar cycle is the solar maximum, or when the Sun has the most sunspots. As the cycle ends, it fades back to the solar minimum and then a new cycle begins.
The scientists track the solar cycle with the help of sunspots. These spots are the dark blotches on the Sun that are associated with solar activity. Sunspots are associated as the origins for giant explosions such as solar flares that can spew light, energy and solar material into space.
The reason behind scientists tracking solar activity is because it can have effects on Earth.
For example, when charged particles from coronal mass ejections (CMEs) reach areas near the Earth, they can trigger intense lightning in the skies referred to as auroras. When CMEs are particularly strong, they can also interfere with the power grids, which can cause electricity shortages and power outages. NASA notes that solar flares and CMEs are the most powerful explosions in our solar system.
Further, solar flares can have a major effect on radio communications, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) connectivity, power grids, and satellites. Last month, a massive Sunspot group, AR2770, which emitted a few minor solar flares was observed.
Recently, scientists have developed a new model that can
successfully predict seven of the Sun’s biggest flares from the last solar
cycle, out of a set of nine with the help of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Lastly let us now know few things about the sunspot.
A Sunspot is an area on the Sun that appears dark on the surface and is relatively cooler than the surrounding parts. These spots, some as large as 50,000 km in diameter, are the visible markers of the Sun’s magnetic field, which forms a blanket that protects the solar system from harmful cosmic radiation. When a Sunspot reaches up to 50,000 km in diameter, it may release a huge amount of energy that can lead to solar flares.
On Tuesday, the experts announced that the solar minimum for Solar Cycle 25 occurred in December 2019. They took time to announce this because of the variability of the Sun.
Scientists predict a solar maximum will be reached by July 2025 and that this solar cycle will be as strong as the last solar cycle, which was a “below-average cycle” but not without risks.
