NASA: the sun has entered a new cycle of its activity

Irina Ziganshina

The Independent reports on changes in sunny weather.

The beginning of a new cycle, officially called "solar cycle 25" means that humanity should be prepared for problems and complications just in case.

The activity of the Sun proceeds in a cycle, the approximate duration of which is 11 years, while the star regularly passes from a state of rest to a state of activity and back. Changes in solar activity can lead to unpleasant consequences: for example, astronauts not protected by the earth's magnetic field can be hit by radiation, and wireless communications can malfunction.

But, according to Jake Bleacher, chief scientist at NASA's Office of Space Exploration and Manned Research, “There is no bad weather, there is bad preparation. Space weather is what it is. Our job is to be ready. "

The minimum of solar activity, which marked the end of the previous cycle, happened back in December 2019. But the variability of the sun usually leads to the fact that such things can be stated only after a few months.

When the Sun enters its new cycle, it can lead to dramatic events on its surface - solar flares and coronal mass ejections. After these giant explosions into space, light, energy and solar matter can be spewed out, according to NASA. Scientists expect activity to increase until July 2025, when the Sun reaches its next predicted maximum.

The current cycle is expected to be comparable to the previous one, which was below average. But this does not mean that you can relax.

“Even if the solar forecast is below average, that doesn't mean there is no risk of extreme space weather”, - says Doug Bisecker, a heliophysicist at NOAA's Space Weather Forecast Center. "The influence of the sun on our daily life really exists".