Spots disappear from the sun

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Scientists are seriously concerned about the disappearance of sunspots. According to them, the decrease in activity on the luminary contributes to the fact that our planet will become more vulnerable to cosmic radiation and debris.

For several days, sunspots have not appeared on the Sun, which cause magnetic storms on Earth and a coronal mass ejection. According to experts, there is no threat to life on the planet yet, this is just evidence that the star has entered a new cycle lasting 11 years. Scientists note that this period is characterized by a decrease in solar activity, in other words, a solar minimum will come.

The maximum was observed in April 2014. At that time, scientists observed 116 spots on the surface of the Sun.

According to experts, the solar cycle has not yet been completed, so spots on its surface will still appear. But at the same time, the periods of the so-called "calm" will become longer and longer, and will last for weeks and even months.

At the same time, experts say that a decrease in solar activity will not positively affect people's lives. Despite the reduction in the number of magnetic storms, the upper atmosphere will cool and become weaker. This will lead to the fact that space debris will be attracted closer to the planet's surface. The heliosphere will also be weakened, and, accordingly, the protection of the planet from cosmic radiation.

Experts predict that a new solar minimum should begin in 2019-2020, and it will pass without deviations. As for the next minimum, it raises many questions from astrophysicists. And all because in the scientific world more and more often a theory is put forward about a possible repetition of the so-called Maunder minimum in the next few decades.

The Maunder minimum is called the longest period of decrease in the activity of the Sun, which was observed in 1645-1725, and scientists remember the fact that in half a century only 50 spots appeared on the surface of the Sun. Moreover, the norm is 50 thousand spots. This minimum coincided in time with the Little Ice Age in Europe, when snowfalls began in September, even in summer there was frost.

At the same time, it should be noted that scientists cannot come to a consensus regarding the relationship between the fall in solar activity and climatic changes. But they do not exclude that with the repeated fall of the Sun's activity, the cold may return.