{"id":132263,"date":"2024-12-01T22:26:12","date_gmt":"2024-12-01T15:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=132263"},"modified":"2024-12-01T22:26:12","modified_gmt":"2024-12-01T15:26:12","slug":"the-sun-is-at-its-solar-maximum-which-means-more-auroras-are-likely-in-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=132263","title":{"rendered":"The sun is at its solar maximum \u2014 which means more auroras are likely in store"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"summary-box\" data-testid=\"summary-box\">\n<div class=\"summary-box__content\">\n<h2 class=\"summary-box__headline\">The Summary<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"summary-box__items\">\n<li>The recent flurry of solar storms suggests the sun is in a period of maximal activity as part of its 11-year cycle.<\/li>\n<li>The active period is likely to continue over the next year, so more auroras could be in store. <\/li>\n<li>Next month, NASA will get an up-close view of the solar activity as the Parker Solar Probe makes its closest-ever approach to the sun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"\">The sun is awake.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">In recent months, Earth\u2019s star has ramped up activity, with giant flares erupting off the surface and belching streams of plasma and charged particles into space. Several of the solar storms have been aimed at our planet, and they triggered severe geomagnetic storms and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/science\/science-news\/northern-lights-aurora-visible-far-south-rcna174943\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supercharg<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/science\/science-news\/northern-lights-aurora-visible-far-south-rcna174943\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ed<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/science\/science-news\/northern-lights-aurora-visible-far-south-rcna174943\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> dazzling displays of the northern lights<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The sun\u2019s flurry of outbursts, coming after years of relative quiet and calm, is a sure sign that the star has entered a busy phase of its natural cycle, according to experts: solar maximum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The active period is likely to continue over the next year, which means more solar storms and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/data-graphics\/northern-lights-forecast-diagram-graphic-2024-rcna99053\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spectacular auroras<\/a> could be in store.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cThis is definitely the season for big solar storms,\u201d said Kelly Korreck, a program scientist in the heliophysics division at NASA. \u201cI expect we will see the skies lit up with auroras again.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__yAWZ0 styles_medium__OMa6x\"><picture class=\"styles_image__1qciH\" data-testid=\"picture\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1553-75ad42.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1553-75ad42.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1553-75ad42.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1553-75ad42.jpg 1x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1553-75ad42.jpg\" alt=\"Aurora Borealis.\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__Pe5JC\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">The aurora borealis above Kiruna, Sweden, on March 7.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Leon Neal \/ Getty Images file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\">Later this month, NASA will get an up-close view of the high solar activity as the agency\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/mach\/science\/nasa-s-parker-solar-probe-launch-historic-mission-touch-sun-ncna899391\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Parker Solar Probe<\/a> makes its closest-ever approach to the sun on Dec. 24.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The spacecraft is on a path to swoop within 3.86 million miles of the solar surface \u2014 closer than any other human-made object in history. It is expected to fly through plumes of the sun\u2019s plasma and potentially dive into active regions of the star. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cIf you think of an American football field, and Earth is on one side and the sun is on the other, this is like going to the sun\u2019s 4-yard line,\u201d Korreck said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__yAWZ0 styles_medium__OMa6x\"><picture class=\"styles_image__1qciH\" data-testid=\"picture\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-10\/241024-Parker-Solar-Probe-ch-1647-6d25ba.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-10\/241024-Parker-Solar-Probe-ch-1647-6d25ba.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-10\/241024-Parker-Solar-Probe-ch-1647-6d25ba.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-10\/241024-Parker-Solar-Probe-ch-1647-6d25ba.jpg 1x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-10\/241024-Parker-Solar-Probe-ch-1647-6d25ba.jpg\" alt=\"Parker Solar Probe\" height=\"1947\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__Pe5JC\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">The Parker Solar Probe in a clean room in Titusville, Fla., in 2018, after the installation of its heat shield.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Johns Hopkins APL \/ Ed Whitman \/ NASA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\">The Parker Solar Probe launched in 2018 on a mission to study the sun\u2019s atmosphere, an ultrahot region known as the corona. Last month, the car-size spacecraft flew by Venus in a maneuver that will help slingshot it near the sun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Korreck said the probe\u2019s close encounter could yield especially valuable insights if there are active sunspot regions \u2014 temporary features that appear as dark blemishes on the sun\u2019s surface \u2014 along its path. Such observations could help researchers better understand how the sun\u2019s activity waxes and wanes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The solar cycle generally lasts around 11 years, as the sun transitions from periods of low to high magnetic activity. As the star moves out of its calm phase \u2014\u00a0solar minimum \u2014 and reaches the height of the solar cycle, its magnetic poles flip, ushering in solar maximum, when activity is heightened and eruptions become more frequent and intense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The main way scientists can tell that the sun has reached its maximum is by monitoring sunspot formation. As the sun spins, its magnetic field becomes roiled, warping and tightening in some areas, Korreck said. That&#8217;s what creates the sunspots that appear in telescope images as dark patches. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__yAWZ0 styles_medium__OMa6x\"><picture class=\"styles_image__1qciH\" data-testid=\"picture\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-solar-flare-ch-1551-035b53.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-solar-flare-ch-1551-035b53.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-solar-flare-ch-1551-035b53.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-solar-flare-ch-1551-035b53.jpg 1x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-solar-flare-ch-1551-035b53.jpg\" alt=\"Giant, bright coronal loops trace out the magnetic field lines above an active region.\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__Pe5JC\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Giant, bright coronal loops trace out the magnetic field lines above an active region of the sun in 2018.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Solar Dynamics Observatory \/ NASA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cThe sun is a magnetic ball, but because it doesn\u2019t move as a solid object, its magnetic field gets all twisted up as it turns,\u201d Korreck said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The number of those sunspots<strong> <\/strong>steadily increases as the star moves toward solar maximum. Once there is a notable decline, researchers can define the start and end of the active period.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">In some sunspot areas, the magnetic field can be about 2,500 times stronger than Earth\u2019s magnetic field, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/fsd\/sunspots\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to NASA<\/a>. Over time, sunspots can release enormous amounts of pent-up magnetic energy in the form of solar storms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Two major solar storms this year \u2014 one in May and another in early October \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/aurora-borealis-photos-solar-storm-northern-lights-texas-rcna174992\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stunned skywatchers as far south as Texas<\/a> and Alabama with night skies painted in bright pink, green and purple hues. The event in May was the strongest geomagnetic storm to hit Earth in two decades, according to NASA.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__yAWZ0 styles_medium__OMa6x\"><picture class=\"styles_image__1qciH\" data-testid=\"picture\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1554-52490e.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1554-52490e.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1554-52490e.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1554-52490e.jpg 1x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1554-52490e.jpg\" alt=\"Aurora borealis.\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__Pe5JC\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">A solar storm over the National Monument of Scotland in Edinburgh on May 10.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Jacob Anderson \/ AFP &#8211; Getty Images file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__yAWZ0 styles_medium__OMa6x\"><picture class=\"styles_image__1qciH\" data-testid=\"picture\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1557-f87708.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1557-f87708.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1557-f87708.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1557-f87708.jpg 1x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2024-11\/241126-auroras-ch-1557-f87708.jpg\" alt=\"A cactus in an Aurora borealis.\" height=\"1666\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__Pe5JC\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">The aurora borealis illuminates the sky over the desert in Tonto National Forest, northeast of Phoenix, on Oct. 10.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Michael Chow \/ USA Today Network<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\">Auroras occur when clouds of charged particles that spew from the sun during solar storms slam into Earth\u2019s magnetic field and interact with atoms and molecules in the planet\u2019s upper atmosphere. The colorful displays are a beautiful byproduct of that process, typically visible only at high latitudes. But during periods of intense solar activity, the lights can wander much farther south than usual.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">But there can be negative consequences, as well. Strong geomagnetic storms can cause problems for astronauts in space, along with GPS systems and satellites in orbit. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/science\/space\/sun-solar-maximum-auroras-northern-lights-rcna177141\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Summary The recent flurry of solar storms suggests the sun is in a period of maximal activity as part of its 11-year cycle. The active period is likely to &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=132263\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8628],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=132263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132263\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=132263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=132263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=132263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}