NASA confirms that the sun has reached the most dangerous period in its eleven-year cycle

NASA has taken to his blog for confirmation the sun has now reached the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, meaning we can expect a lot more activity from our local star.

The space agency, along with representatives from the Solar Cycle Prediction Panel and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), informed reporters on Tuesday that the sun has entered its maximum solar period, which could last all year long. NASA explains that during the sun’s solar maximum, the sun’s magnetic activity is at its highest, increasing the number of sunspots that lead to solar eruptions that can and have affected Earth.

Solar activity can affect critical infrastructure on Earth, such as communications systems, satellites and power grids, all of which can be disrupted during intense geomagnetic storms caused by the sun’s rays. On the plus side, increased solar activity means the frequency of auroras has increased. An example of the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle paying off in the form of impressive aurorae didn’t happen until May of this year, when Earth was hit by a barrage of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), or explosions of charged particles that created the strongest geomagnetic storm The Earth has been through something in the last twenty years.

NASA writes: “and possibly one of the strongest auroral phenomena observed in the past 500 years.“

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“During solar maximum, the number of sunspots, and therefore the amount of solar activity, increases. This increase in activity provides an exciting opportunity to learn more about our nearest star, but it is also causing real impacts on Earth and throughout our solar system.said Jamie Favors, director of Space Weather Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington

“This announcement does not mean that this is the peak of solar activity we will see this solar cycle. While the Sun has reached its maximum solar period, the month in which solar activity peaks on the Sun will not be identified for months or years.said Elsayed Talaat, director of space weather operations at NOAA