Published 09:05 IST, September 16th 2020
Sun has started a new solar weather cycle & it should be pretty calm, NASA predicts
NASA on Tuesday officially declared the sun has entered a new solar weather cycle. 'Solar Cycle 25' indicates that there will be an increase in space weather.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday officially declared that the sun has entered a new 'solar weather cycle'. The sun's new activity phase, called 'Solar Cycle 25' indicates that there will be an increase in space weather that could have effects for technology on Earth as well as astronauts in space, NASA scientists said.
According to the Scientists solar cycle 25, will peak in 2025 and will generally be a less active cycle, very similar to solar cycle 24, that ended in December 2019. The sun's activity follows an 11-year cycle, with the star moving constantly from quiet to active and back to the same cycle. These periods of activities are known as solar weather. The new findings will be key to ensuring that the world is ready to tackle the numerous problems and complications that can arise as a result of that change in space weather, experts said.
Changes in the solar weather can have broad effects, for instance, the astronauts who are not protected by the Earth’s magnetic field can be hit by dangerous amounts of radiation or it can also cause significant difficulties for radio communication technologies on the ground. Meanwhile, the experts have advised that the beginning of the new cycle should be an opportunity to make plans for the changes expected in the years to come.
'There is no bad weather..'
“There is no bad weather, just bad preparation,” said Jake Bleacher, chief scientist for NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at the agency’s Headquarters. “Space weather is what it is – our job is to prepare.”
As the Sun heads into its new cycle, it could lead to dramatic events on the surface- giant explosions such as coronal mass ejections or solar flares. That can spew light, energy, and solar material into space, NASA said in its release.
Frédéric Clette, the director of the World Data Center for the Sunspot Index, said “We keep a detailed record of the few tiny sunspots that mark the onset and rise of the new cycle."
“These are the diminutive heralds of future giant solar fireworks. It is only by tracking the general trend over many months that we can determine the tipping point between two cycles", he added.
As the Scientists predicted that the new cycle is expected to be comparable to the previous cycle, which was below average stated that it does not mean there are no risks. Doug Biesecker, a solar physicist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said “Just because it’s a below-average solar cycle, doesn’t mean there is no risk of extreme space weather. The Sun’s impact on our daily lives is real and is there."
Updated 09:05 IST, September 16th 2020