Scientists Have Declared Solar Cycle 25 Is Now Underway | WeatherBug
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Scientists Have Declared Solar Cycle 25 Is Now Underway

September 17, 2020
By WeatherBug's Christopher Smith
An international panel of space scientists just declared Solar Cycle 25 has begun. What exactly does that mean?

On Tuesday, September 16, the Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel announced that the solar minimum occurred in December 2019, marking the beginning of a new cycle. Although the minimum occurred months ago, gathering the evidence to declare a solar minimum can take several months.

With the beginning of a new cycle comes an uptick in solar activity. Solar activity consists of increased sunspots, or dark regions on the Sun. These sunspots usually are the origins of mass explosions on the Sun including solar flares and the ejection of plasma into Space.

This upcoming solar cycle is expected to be as strong as the last one, with an expected solar maximum in July 2025. Although the last cycle was below average in strength, even a weaker solar cycle can still disrupt space travel and cause problems with technology here on Earth. Although rare, the increased electromagnetic radiation from solar activity can interfere with radio communication and power grids.

The declaration of the new solar cycle is an important component in forecasting space weather. In the future, space weather is hoped to be forecast just like weather on Earth. In 2024, NOAA will launch a Space Weather Follow-On L-1 observatory to measure solar wind thermal plasma and electromagnetic radiation before the next solar maximum.

During the next few years, expect to hear more about space weather and solar flares as the Sun turns more active once again with the beginning of the new solar cycle. The Sun will not only impact Space, but also could have some interesting effects here on Earth!

Sources: nesdis.noaa.gov, climate.gov, nasa.gov
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Story Image: A huge solar flare on the bottom left of the photograph (NOAA Photo Library).