Space weather is heating up in our current solar cycle peak
Aurora sightings may become more common, and satellite communications and power grids could be disrupted, as solar activity peaks. Our nearest star is always volatile, but its magnetic action waxes and wanes on an 11-year loop. The sun is thought to be in a peak now, although scientists will need another year or two to analyze data before they can say for sure. During this high point we should see more sunspots and solar storms .
During a storm, energy explodes from the sun in the form of light and particles and a plasma and magnetic field . If a CME hits Earth’s magnetosphere, it can wreak havoc on our planet’s magnetic field, injecting energy, plasma and particles and heating up and distorting Earth’s upper atmosphere, the ionosphere. All of this chaos can hinder radio signals between satellites and induce strong electric currents that can damage power grids.
“We need to better prepare for space weather,” says heliophysicist Lisa Upton, who co-chaired the NASA/NOAA Solar Cycle Prediction Panel for the current cycle. “Write your congresspeople and tell them to support solar physics.”. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
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