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Have we reached the solar minimum? The sun has remained spotless for 16 consecutive days – and it could result in magnetic storms that disrupt air travel, satellites and power grids.
- A solar minimum, which takes place every 11 years, has begun, according to NASA
- They mark a period of reduced activity on the otherwise violent sun's surface
- At the maximum of the cycle, the solar maximum, the sun is constantly strewn with spots
- The minimum means that more energy is projected into space and towards the Earth, causing magnetic storms.
NASA's images reveal that the sun's face is completely empty, with no visible sunspots – indicating that it has reached the minimum stage of its solar cycle.
The solar minims mark a period of reduced activity on the sun and occur every eleven years. During this period, sunspots and solar flares are less common.
The otherwise violent solar surface takes on a quieter and almost idyllic appearance, but this false calm can lead to magnetic storms that interfere with satellites, affect air travel and even knock out power grids.
At the maximum of the cycle of the solar cycle, the sun is constantly strewn with spots, some of the size of the planet Jupiter.
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NASA captured a strangely motionless surface of the sun. The image produced is the result of a lack of sunspot activity in the magnetic field of the star. At this point, the otherwise violent surface of the Sun takes on a quieter and almost idyllic appearance.
Although this does not pose a threat to our planet, it could cause magnetic storms, which puts astronauts and satellites at risk from our atmosphere.
The Space Weather website wrote: "The sun has remained spotless for 16 consecutive days – a sign that Solar Minimum is underway.
"Many people think that Solar Minimum is uninteresting. Not so.
"This phase of the solar cycle brings additional cosmic rays and long-lasting holes in the sun's atmosphere."
After about eleven years, when the sun returns to its minimum, there will probably be more and more ferocious explosions on the sun.
NASA warned: "After our Sun has exceeded the current solar minimum, solar activity such as eruptive protuberances should become more common over the next few years."
The space agency has just released dramatic images of a solar "monster" record made by its dynamic solar observatory in 2011, which show what we should expect to see when the minimum of sun reaches its end .
This slowdown often causes a temporary cooling of the Earth's atmosphere.
At the peak of the solar cycle, the sun is constantly dotted with spots, some of the size of the planet Jupiter. But at its minimum, months can go by without a single sunspot and its magnetic field weakens, which means more energy is projected to the Earth.
During the minimum, months can pass without a single sunspot. In the photo, the number of sunspots from the time of Galileo until the end of 2005. In recent centuries, the number of counts has increased and decreased with a period of eleven years.
The picture on the left shows a calm sun from October 2010. The right part, from October 2012, shows a much more active and varied solar atmosphere as the sun gets closer to the peak of the sun. 39 solar activity, a peak called maximum solar, predicted for 2013
When the sun entered a solar minimum between 16:50 and 17:10, NASA declared that the Earth was plunged into a "deep freezing".
Between 1650 and 1710, temperatures in much of the northern hemisphere plunged when the sun entered a calm phase, now called the Maunder Minimum.
"During this period, very few sunspots appeared on the surface of the UN and the overall brightness of the sun decreased slightly.
"Already in the midst of a colder than average period called the Little Ice Age, Europe and North America were plunged into a deep freeze: alpine glaciers lay on the agricultural lands of the valley; sea ice has crept south of the Arctic; and the famous canals of the Netherlands have frozen regularly, a rare event these days. & # 39;
The sun goes from a solar maximum to a solar minimum every eleven years.
At most, sunspots and solar flares intensify, producing warmer temperatures up and down the planet.
When the sun witnessed a high number of sunspots in 2014, NASA announced that the minimum would be reached from 2019 to 2020.
Astronomers usually associate periods of solar minimum with colder temperatures because the sun's "natural heating mechanism" decreases.
WHY LESS SUNSET CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS ON EARTH?
The lack of sunspot activity in the sun is due to a period of continued inactivity in the star's magnetic field.
During its eleven-year cycle, the sun goes through periods of activity and calm known as solar maximum and solar minimum.
As the solar minimum approaches, certain types of activities, such as sunspots and solar flares, will drop, but they are also expected to increase long-lived phenomena.
This includes coronal holes, where solar winds move rapidly as the star's magnetic field opens into space. This happens more regularly as the sun's magnetic field becomes less active.
According to scientists, strong solar winds emanating from three massive "holes" on the surface of the sun began to bombard the Earth. Rapidly moving solar winds are created where the magnetic field of the star opens into space, represented here by vast black regions.
The charged particles enter the solar system through these gaps and enter the atmosphere of our planet.
This can lead to a number of complications, including magnetic storms, which can lead to power grid fluctuations, impacts on satellite operations and migratory animals.
An increase in solar winds can also alter the chemistry of the Earth's upper atmosphere, which can trigger more lightning and promote cloud formation.
It can also affect air travel as more radiation can enter aircraft. This means that long-haul passengers can receive radiation doses similar to those of dental x-rays during a single trip, putting flight crews at extra risk.
The effects of the minimum solar energy can also include cooling and a slight contraction of the upper atmosphere on the Earth, because of the less heat reaching the planet. This can allow space debris to accumulate in low Earth orbit.
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