Published by: Dionne Jheoff A. Mendoza
Date Published: November 5, 2024
Time Published: 11:22 AM
International Solar Cycle Prediction Panel (ISCPP) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on Tuesday, October 15, that Solar Cycle 25, which is expected to reach its peak in July 2025, could trigger an increase in aurora displays visible in the Earth's night sky.
Solar activity has been on the rise over the past eight months, marking the transition to Solar Cycle 25, and is expected to feature 115 sunspots, showing spectacular auroral displays.
Aurora lights are formed when molecules and gases (oxygen and nitrogen) collide with Earth's atmosphere, causing them to release energy in the form of light. Usually, when a solar storm strikes, the northern lights are visible in areas close to the Arctic Circle.
The solar maximum causes sunspots that eventually lead to solar activities. Doug Biesecker, Ph. D., panel co-chair and a solar physicist at NOAA said that, "Although we’ve seen a steady increase in sunspot activity this year, it is slow."
A solar storm occurs when the sun's atmosphere emits a massive burst of energy, which can travel towards Earth at speeds of about three million miles per hour. These storms can disrupt radio signals and communications.
When the sun's cycle reaches its peak, sunspots increase, causing solar flares, eventually leading to the most powerful geomagnetic storm in decades, which occurred in May 2003.
The solar storm, which occurred around May 10-11, 2003, and was classified as a G5 "extreme" event, caused power outages in countries such as Sweden and South Africa. This storm is considered one of the most powerful displays of aurora on record in the past 500 years.
Jamie Favors, a director at NASA, expressed her excitement about the said solar activity.
"This increase in activity provides an exciting opportunity to learn about our closest star—but also causes real effects at Earth and throughout our solar system," she said.
The sun's magnetic field undergoes an approximately 11-year cycle, known as the solar cycle. The current solar storm is linked to the sun's peak activity within this 11-year cycle. Every 11 years, the sun's north and south poles flip, signaling the start of a new solar cycle.
Scientists have been observing solar cycle activities since 1755, starting with what they call Solar Cycle 1.
REFERENCES:
[1] Hauptman, M. & Lagatta, E. (2024, October 17). The sun is now in its solar maximum, meaning more aurora activity. The Herald News.
https://www.heraldnews.com/story/news/nation/2024/10/17/sun-solar-maximum-25-northern-lights-aurora/75717034007/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGB6wFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVbRSbe4xbWCMD3P9BMhLq7EyEmOJ-Hbn0urjIiibwea8hKM7420bb_ukw_aem_cb_lqEE_1cRLZg86n-2ttA
[2] NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. Hello Solar Cycle 25. (n.d.). https://www.weather.gov/news/201509-solar-cycle
[3] WONDEROPOLIS. What Is a Solar Storm?. (n.d.).
https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-a-solar-storm/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGB8WZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUBJaNsUFcvszWesdSsbiulOtJezGNslzl-UiMikHNUbRpW-Y9VHOxQ5VA_aem_r0S3BEmVpP3zEz5teciMdA
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