StarDate

Changing Sun


Listen Later

The Sun is going through a big change. One cycle of activity is ending, while another is just beginning. Neither cycle is very active, though. In fact, the Sun probably is entering an unusually quiet year. There may be times when we won’t see anything going on at all.

The Sun follows a magnetic cycle that reaches its peak every 11 years or so. At the peak, the Sun produces lots of the dark magnetic storms known as sunspots. It also produces more outbursts of energy and particles.

Right now, the Sun is at the end of one cycle and the start of another. The ending one has been well below normal. In fact, there were many days where astronomers saw no sunspots at all. And the next cycle is expected to be even calmer.

Hints of the new cycle were seen as early as 2016. But the first strong indication came this July. A sunspot that lasted for a few days had the opposite magnetic polarity of the previous ones — a sure sign that it belongs to a new cycle.

For the next year, though, we’re expected to remain at solar minimum — a time when the Sun is especially quiet.

Solar minimum is a good thing for our technology. Solar storms can harm satellites, force airlines to reroute flights, and knock out power grids on Earth. That’s less likely to happen during solar minimum — although individual storms can still be nasty.

The new cycle should begin to ramp up by late next year, and reach its peak a few years later — one more change for our always-changing star.


Script by Damond Benningfield

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

StarDateBy Billy Henry

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

251 ratings


More shows like StarDate

View all
Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,133 Listeners

BirdNote Daily by BirdNote

BirdNote Daily

1,190 Listeners

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science by The Planetary Society

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

1,345 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,967 Listeners

Astronomy Cast by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

Astronomy Cast

2,866 Listeners

The 365 Days of Astronomy by 365DaysOfAstronomy.org

The 365 Days of Astronomy

336 Listeners

Universe Today Podcast by Fraser Cain

Universe Today Podcast

544 Listeners

Ask a Spaceman! by Paul M. Sutter

Ask a Spaceman!

804 Listeners

Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries by Professor Fred Watson and Andrew Dunkley

Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries

221 Listeners

SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy by Stuart Gary

SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy

320 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,271 Listeners

The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

The Supermassive Podcast

287 Listeners

NASA's Curious Universe by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

NASA's Curious Universe

851 Listeners

Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

Why This Universe?

363 Listeners

Crash Course Pods: The Universe by Crash Course Pods, Complexly

Crash Course Pods: The Universe

505 Listeners