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The sun’s solar weather has caused several atmospheric events since entering its solar maximum phase on Oct. 15, according to NASA. The phenomenon happens about every 11 years as the sun’s shifting magnetic field flips. The sun’s solar activity reaches its peak at the middle of this cycle.
According to NASA, the sun’s excess solar flares and winds wreak havoc on the Earth’s magnetic field. Earlier this month, the solar activity disrupted the orbit of three, small Australian satellites, causing them to burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere sooner than planned, according to ScienceAlert.com.
The sun’s outbursts and plasma energy pouring toward Earth have also caused northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, to occur more frequently.
What causes the sun’s high activity?
The sun is a massive ball of electrically charged hot gas, which produces a powerful magnetic field, according to NASA.
The sun undergoes an 11-year “solar cycle,” which can be tracked by the rise and fall in the number of sunspots on its surface. Solar flares, plasma energy and other types of space weather increase in tandem with the number of sunspots. The Earth’s atmosphere then endures bursts of energy and material from the sun’s large eruptions.
Shifting polarity of the sun
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The sun’s current solar cycle
According to scientists, the solar maximum, or the next peak in solar activity, will occur between late 2024 and early 2026, according to Space.com. As the solar maximum draws near, the northern lights will start to become increasingly intense and frequent.
Monitoring the sun’s solar activity serves as the starting point for the massive explosions that can shoot light, energy and solar material into space. These explosions include solar flares and coronal mass ejections on the sun’s surface.
Fast-moving particles from solar eruptions can:
- Puncture satellite equipment by damaging its circuits and solar panels.
- Have the ability to remove electrons from atoms and molecules, changing our high-frequency radio transmissions.
- Can expose astronauts in space and passengers in high-flying arctic planes to radiation that can penetrate human flesh.
Shifting appearance in the sun’s magnetic fields
In the image below, you can shift the sun’s appearance between February 2021 to October 2023. As the sun gets closer to the peak of its magnetic activity cycle, it emits more intense explosions, dark sunspots, plasma loops and swirls of extremely hot gas.
North America’s severe geomagnetic storm produces visible aurora
Early in October, Americans from the northern U.S. and even as far south as Alabama had a chance to witness the striking rays, spirals and flickers of the northern lights. The glow was amplified by a solar coronal mass ejection of plasma clouds and charged particles that drove a geomagnetic storm toward Earth. The storm was so strong that it prompted NOAA to issue a rare G4 geomagnetic storm watch for the second time this year.
That particular storm watch was the first NOAA released in 19 years for a geomagnetic storm classified as a G4 – a single level away from being the most severe solar storm possible. Amid the solar activity, the sun even emitted an explosive burst of radiation that became the largest solar flare detected since 2017, according to the NOAA.
More:Amid solar maximum, northern lights should flourish: How to see auroras across US
What’s more, because NASA anticipates the solar maximum to continue into 2025, aurora chasers should have plenty more opportunities to catch the northern lights.
This story was updated to add new information.
CONTRIBUTING Eric Lagatta, Jim Sergent
SOURCE NASA, European Space Agency, NOAA, Space.com, ScienceAlert.com and USA TODAY research
