Tag

Solar Cycle

All articles tagged with #solar cycle

space5 hours ago•15 min saved

Solar activity threshold quickens the fall of decades-old space junk

A Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre team tracked 17 long-lived pieces of 1960s space debris for 36 years and found that once solar activity passes roughly two-thirds of a cycle's peak (as measured by sunspot number or the 10.7 cm radio flux), the upper atmosphere drags debris downward more rapidly, accelerating decay across three solar cycles. The finding helps forecast debris reentries and plan safer operations, though the sample is small and polar/high-inclination debris show deviations.

via Space Daily|

#orbital-dynamics #solar-cycle #space

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Medieval Japanese Verse Pinpoints a Solar Storm, Now Validated by Modern Science

A 1204 CE Japanese poem describing “red lights in the northern sky” is linked to a powerful solar storm. By combining historical records with tree-ring carbon-14 dating (dendrochronology), researchers confirm a medieval solar event and a shorter 7–8 year solar cycle, also identifying sub-extreme solar proton events that could threaten today’s technology.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#aurora #dendrochronology #medieval-science

space2 months ago•74 min saved

Sun's magnetic engine revealed deep beneath its surface

A study using data from the SOHO and GONG networks confirms the Sun's magnetic dynamo is generated near the tachocline, roughly 200,000 km (about 124,000 miles) below the Sun's visible surface, with rotating plasma bands tracing a butterfly pattern that aligns with the 11-year sunspot cycle. This supports tachocline-based dynamo models and could improve space-weather predictions, with findings published in Scientific Reports.

via Space|

#solar-cycle #solar-dynamo #space

travel2 months ago•18 min saved

Chasing a Fading Glow: Plan a Northern Lights Trip Before They Disappear

After peaking in Oct 2024, the aurora borealis is fading as the solar cycle moves toward minimum; recent displays have even been seen in Florida, Mexico, and other southern urban skies. To maximize your chances before they fade, plan a high-latitude, dark-sky trip during clear, moonless nights, seek locations away from light pollution, and monitor space-weather forecasts for geomagnetic activity, staying flexible with dates and destinations.

via The Washington Post|

#aurora-borealis #dark-skies #northern-lights

science3 months ago•4 min saved

Solar Max Sparks Southern UK Auroras

Auroras lit up the South West of the UK (Devon, Cornwall and the Channel Islands) due to coronal mass ejections from the Sun at the height of solar cycle 25. Experts say 2025–2026 is the likely peak, with some forecasts suggesting the next maximum could be as late as 2037. Strong geomagnetic storms push auroras farther south, but visibility depends on dark skies and viewing conditions. To see them, monitor Met Office Space Weather alerts and head to dark-sky sites away from light pollution, using long-exposure photography; the article notes several South West dark-sky locations.

via BBC|

#aurora #geomagnetic-storm #northern-lights

science4 months ago•4 min saved

Record-Breaking Solar Activity Unveiled by Recent Observations

A record-breaking study revealed that the giant sunspot AR 13664, which grew to 15 times Earth's width, produced nearly 1,000 solar flares, including powerful X-class flares, and triggered Earth's most intense geomagnetic storm in over 20 years, highlighting the sun's immense power during solar maximum.

via Live Science|

#geomagnetic-storm #science #solar-cycle

science4 months ago•2 min saved

SpaceX Starts Lowering Orbits of 4,400 Starlink Satellites for Safety

SpaceX plans to lower the orbits of approximately 4,400 Starlink satellites from 550 km to 480 km in 2026 to enhance safety and reduce collision risks, especially as solar activity decreases and atmospheric drag lessens, impacting satellite decay times and space debris management.

via Space|

#orbit #satellites #science

science6 months ago•2 min saved

Northern Lights Could Illuminate 18 U.S. States Wednesday Night

A strong geomagnetic storm caused by solar activity has increased the chances of viewing the northern lights across 18 U.S. states on Wednesday night, although weather conditions like cloudiness may prevent sightings in some areas like Portland.

via OregonLive.com|

#aurora-borealis #geomagnetic-storm #northern-lights

science6 months ago•5 min saved

ESA's Sun spacecraft uncovers surprising magnetic activity at the solar south pole

ESA's Solar Orbiter captured the first close-up images of the Sun's magnetic field near its south pole, revealing faster-than-expected magnetic migration and providing new insights into the solar cycle and polar magnetic dynamics.

via Space|

#science #solar-cycle #solar-magnetic-field

science6 months ago•2 min saved

Solar Orbiter Unveils Surprising Magnetic Dynamics at the Sun’s Poles

For the first time, the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter has captured images of the Sun's polar magnetic field, revealing that plasma and magnetic activity at the poles move faster than previously thought, providing new insights into the Sun's 11-year activity cycle.

via IFLScience|

#polar-regions #science #solar-cycle

science8 months ago•2 min saved

Upcoming Northern Lights and Celestial Events to Watch For

The upcoming period around the fall equinox could see a brief but spectacular increase in Northern Lights displays due to the Russell-McPherron Effect, which causes more intense geomagnetic storms when Earth's magnetic field aligns with the solar wind, especially during the sun's peak activity cycle.

via Forbes|

#aurora #geomagnetic-storms #northern-lights

science8 months ago•3 min saved

NASA Reports Increased Solar Activity

NASA's recent study indicates that solar activity, which had been decreasing since the 1980s and was at its weakest in 2008, has started to increase again, potentially leading to more space weather events like solar storms and flares, which can impact Earth and space missions.

via NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) (.gov)|

#heliospheric-data #nasa #science

science10 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Uncover Long-Standing Solar Mystery

Scientists have uncovered the long-standing mystery of why sunspots last so long by using a new observation technique that reveals a balance between magnetic fields and pressure, confirming that sunspots are in magnetohydrostatic equilibrium. This discovery, made possible by advanced polarized light analysis with the GREGOR solar telescope, enhances understanding of solar activity and could improve space weather forecasting.

via Yahoo|

#magnetic-fields #science #solar-cycle

science10 months ago•3 min saved

Ancient Sun Mystery Solved After 400 Years

A recent study has finally explained why sunspots remain stable for long periods, revealing that magnetic and pressure forces within sunspots are in perfect balance, thanks to improved observation techniques that remove atmospheric interference. This breakthrough enhances our understanding of solar stability and could improve predictions of space weather events that impact Earth.

via ScienceAlert|

#magnetic-fields #science #solar-cycle

science11 months ago•2 min saved

Massive Solar Flare Triggers Global Radio Blackouts

A large, unstable sunspot (region 4114) facing Earth has emitted its strongest flare yet, an X.12 class solar flare, causing radio blackouts and disruptions, with more eruptions expected as the Sun is in its solar maximum phase. The flare was electromagnetic, not accompanied by a coronal mass ejection, and the region is predicted to remain active until it rotates out of view.

via Gizmodo|

#earth-impact #science #solar-cycle