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 confirmed that the Sun has reached the solar maximum of its 25th cycle, a phase in which it frequently emits a high number of solar flares and coronal mass ejections towards Earth and other surrounding planets.
This phase, characterized by heightened magnetic activity, is expected to continue throughout the coming year.
According to SciTech Daily, our Sun operates on an 11-year cycle, fluctuating between periods of low and high magnetic activity.
During peak phases like the current one, the Sun will undergo a magnetic pole reversal: the North Pole will become the South Pole and vice versa.
The Sun during its current “eruption” is vastly different from its quiet periods – (Photo: NASA).
This phenomenon can be felt on Earth through continuous and intense geomagnetic storms. Recently, Earth has experienced some very strong geomagnetic storms.
The peak of this activity occurred in May 2024, when a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) produced the strongest geomagnetic storm on Earth in two decades, potentially leading to the most spectacular auroras in five centuries.
However, Elsayed Talaat, Director of Space Weather Operations at NOAA, explained that the announcement from NOAA and NASA does not imply that this is the peak of solar activity we will witness during this cycle.
It is likely that in the coming months or next year, the Sun could erupt even more intensely.
With the technological advancements of modern society, such activity could have significant effects, necessitating that people on Earth prepare accordingly.
Back in early September 1859, the global telegraph and power grid suffered severe damage due to the Carrington Event, one of the strongest geomagnetic storms ever recorded.
Today, while we no longer rely on telegraphs and have much better means to protect the power grid, we have invented countless other technologies that could be affected by geomagnetic storms, including GPS technology, radio communications, satellites, and spacecraft…
For the average person, brief disruptions caused by geomagnetic storms often have little impact on daily life. However, space agencies must prioritize space weather forecasting.
For instance, space weather forecasting is crucial for supporting spacecraft and astronauts during NASA’s Artemis missions.
This environmental monitoring of space is essential for understanding and mitigating astronauts’ exposure to cosmic radiation.
Moreover, forecasting potential geomagnetic storms helps prevent disruptions in the space industry: In 2022, SpaceX suffered significant losses when about 40 recently launched Starlink satellites were knocked back to Earth due to a geomagnetic storm.
Scientists predict that the solar maximum will extend for another year before the Sun enters a declining phase, leading to the solar minimum.
