Solar
Events
Solar activity
The Sun is constantly experiencing explosions, bursts of matter, and sunspots are forming
Solar wind
In addition to photons, the Sun emits a stream of plasma particles, electrons, protons. This is the solar wind
Sunspots
It’s the result of a magnetic disturbance in the Sun. Sunspots are the source of special radiation and the cause of magnetic storms on Earth
Solar cycles
The Sun has its own eleven-year cycles of activity like yearly Earth’s period
Solar eclipses
During a total eclipse we see only the radiation from the solar corona. It’s a rare and unique spectrum
Solar entropy
The Sun is a source of useful entropy for planet Earth
Ray Bradbury
And the sun goes on, day after day, burning and burning. The sun and time. The sun and time and burning. Burning
Solar activity
Welcome to a fascinating journey through the mysterious world of the Sun’s activity and the events caused by our luminary and source of life. Magnetic fields weave intrigue, create real firestorms, and uncover the secrets of solar cycles. Learn much more about the Sun’s influence on our planet. Solar activity is defined by the frequency of sunspot appearances on the Sun. The more often they occur, the more active our star is
Sunspots
The complex of phenomena caused by the generation of strong magnetic fields on the Sun is called solar activity. These fields manifest themselves in the photosphere as sunspots and cause phenomena such as solar flares. These streams of accelerated particles lead to changes in the levels of the Sun’s electromagnetic radiation across various ranges, coronal mass ejections, solar wind perturbations, and variations in the fluxes of galactic cosmic rays
Solar flares
The appearance of sunspots results in solar flares—emissions of huge red-hot masses, mostly consisting of helium-hydrogen plasma.
Solar flares are massive ejections of matter that form the solar wind. Many natural phenomena on Earth are associated with perturbations in the solar wind, including geomagnetic storms and auroras. The solar wind is also the source of a unique spectrum of photons
Solar wind
In addition to photons traveling at the speed of light and reaching the Earth in 8 minutes, the Sun emits a stream of helium-hydrogen plasma at speeds ranging from 300 to 1200 kilometers per second. It takes 2-3 days for this plasma to reach the Earth. This phenomenon is called the solar wind. Interplanetary flights on solar sails are made possible with the help of this wind
Solar flares amplify this wind, creating gusts. People can calculate when the bulk of the ejected matter will reach the Earth
Solar cycles
Solar flares occur randomly and cannot be accurately predicted, but they are cyclical. The solar cycle lasts 11 years. Every 11 years, the Sun reverses its polarity (the north pole switches places with the south pole). During the next 11 years, the polarity is restored. The maximum number of sunspots occurs in the middle of the cycle.
Solar cycles have been tracked since 1755, and we are currently in the 25th cycle, which began in December 2019. Its active phase is approaching
Solar cycle mysteries
Solar cycles are not equal; there are weak and strong cycles. A very weak cycle, known as the Maunder Minimum, was observed in the second half of the 17th century. During this time, Europe experienced a decrease in average annual temperatures (the Little Ice Age), which may have been influenced by the impact of solar activity on the Earth’s climate.
The largest sunspot group ever observed was in April 1947 in the southern hemisphere of the Sun. It had a maximum length of 300,000 km and a maximum width of 145,000 km. The area of the spots was 36 times the surface area of the Earth. These spots were easily visible to the naked eye at sunset
Auroras
This is another amazing phenomenon! The aurora borealis is fascinating and mesmerizing. It results from the interaction between the Earth’s magnetosphere and charged solar wind particles. Auroras mostly occur near the magnetic poles (around the 70th parallel). However, when strong solar flares reach our planet, the aurora can be seen as far as the 45th parallel.
Oxygen radiates green and a little red, while nitrogen radiates violet and a bit of green. Each aurora has its unique range of colors due to the variability of the Earth’s atmosphere
Solar eclipses
An important astronomical solar phenomenon is its eclipse by the Moon. This occurs at the new moon, when the Moon is not visible from Earth. Eclipses do not happen often and are not visible everywhere. There are total eclipses, where the Moon is close enough to the Earth to completely cover the solar disk. During these events, darkness falls and only the solar corona around the circumference is visible. There are also partial eclipses. Additionally, there are annular eclipses, which are the rarest.
During a total eclipse at a given location, only photons from the solar corona reach the Earth
Solar eclipse mysteries
The temperature at the location of a total eclipse can drop by more than 10°C in some cases. This sudden drop in temperature can cause clouds to appear or disappear and wind speeds to change dramatically.
Animals and plants also react to solar eclipses. They typically perceive the beginning of the total phase as nightfall. For example, daytime birds stop singing abruptly during totality and start returning to their nests, and in some cases, they even fall to the ground. Meanwhile, bats and owls become more active
question - answer
Do you have a Question?
Of course! The result of sunspots is magnetic storms, and increased solar wind activity results in auroras and high-speed particles traveling to the surface of the Earth
Everything is good or bad in moderation. Magnetic storms can cause headaches and other symptoms in sensitive people during their active phase. However, you should not put Hamilton netting on your roof (this netting protects against radio waves). It is better not to be afraid and use the principle of “hardening”
No, there is no clear evidence of this. During auroras, high-speed solar particles do reach the Earth’s surface, but they are much larger than photons and do not pass through humans, nor do they stop inside them
No doubt about it! Like the Sun, humans live in cycles: day and night, summer and winter, ups and downs. The Sun, in many ways, determines these cycles for humans and can mark the start of new cycles
At the site of a total solar eclipse, a unique spectrum of solar photons from the solar corona reaches the Earth’s surface. The rest of the rays are blocked and reflected by the Moon. This unique phenomenon allows only the corona’s light to be visible
We’re approaching the midpoint of cycle 25, a period of increased solar activity. Flares and magnetic storms will occur more frequently in the near future. It’s important to monitor this and study the effects
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