According to NASA, the period during which Earth is most susceptible to solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the Sun will extend into next year.
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have jointly confirmed that the Sun has entered the solar maximum phase of its 25th cycle, during which it will frequently emit the most solar flares and coronal mass ejections toward Earth and surrounding planets.
This phase, characterized by heightened magnetic activity, is expected to continue into the next year.
According to SciTech Daily, our Sun operates on an 11-year activity cycle, oscillating between periods of low and high magnetic activity.
During peak phases like the current one, the Sun undergoes a magnetic pole reversal: the North Pole becomes the South Pole and vice versa.
The Sun during its current “outburst” is vastly different from its quiet periods – (Photo: NASA).
This activity is felt on Earth through continuous and powerful geomagnetic storms. Recently, Earth has experienced several very strong geomagnetic storms.
The peak occurred in May 2024, when a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) created the strongest geomagnetic storm on Earth in the past two decades, possibly resulting in the most spectacular auroras in five centuries.
However, Elsayed Talaat, the Director of Space Weather Operations at NOAA, explained that the announcement from his agency and NASA does not mean that this is the peak of solar activity we will witness during this cycle.
It is highly likely that in the coming months or next year, the Sun will erupt even more violently.
With modern technological advancements, these eruptions will have a significant impact on various systems, requiring Earth’s inhabitants to be prepared.
In early September 1859, the global telegraph and electrical grid suffered severe damage due to the Carrington Event, one of the strongest geomagnetic storms ever recorded.
Today, while we no longer use telegraphs and have better technologies to protect the electrical grid, we have invented countless other systems that could be affected by geomagnetic storms: GPS technology, radio communications, satellites, spacecraft…
For the average person, brief disruptions caused by geomagnetic storms usually do not affect daily life. However, space agencies place a high priority on space weather forecasting.
For example, space weather forecasts are crucial for supporting spacecraft and astronauts in NASA’s Artemis missions.
This space environment assessment is vital for understanding and minimizing astronauts’ exposure to cosmic radiation.
Additionally, forecasting potential geomagnetic storms helps prevent disruptions in the aerospace industry: In 2022, SpaceX suffered significant losses when approximately 40 newly launched Starlink satellites were knocked out of orbit by a geomagnetic storm.
Scientists predict that the solar maximum phase will last for another year before the Sun enters a declining phase, leading to solar minimum.
