![]() ![]() The last solar maximum was in 2014 The chances of seeing the aurora at lower latitudes increase when the sunspot cycle is at a maximum. Thus, as we approach the solar maximum, we'll start to see more intense and more frequent aurora. Scientists have forecasted the next peak of solar activity (the solar maximum) will be reached in July 2025, NASA said. "This material and radiation is what interacts with the Earth resulting in aurora," Schmoll said. The dark blotches on the sun are associated with solar activity, often as the origins for giant explosions – such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections – that can spew light, energy and solar material into space. Scientists use sunspots to track solar cycle progress, NASA said. ![]() Sunspot activity, and hence auroral activity, tends to peak every 11 years. The number of sunspots on the sun's surface changes on a fairly regular cycle, which scientists refer to as the sun's 11-year cycle variation. Sunspots result from areas of the sun that have stronger magnetic fields." "This results in the number of sunspots seen on the sun. "The sun has an 11-year cycle where it goes through maximum and minimum," said Schmoll. A cycle is traditionally measured by the rise and fall in the number of sunspots, but it also coincides with increases in solar flares, coronal mass ejections, radio emissions and other forms of space weather. Solar cycles track the activity level of the sun, our nearest star. What are solar cycles? What is the solar maximum? More aurora news: Northern lights expected Thursday night in US. The southern lights are known as the aurora australis. The lights are visible in both the far northern and southern parts of the world. "The aurora is most often seen as a striking green, but it also occasionally shows off other colors, ranging from red to pink or blue to purple," the University said on its website. The composition and density of the atmosphere and the altitude of the collisions determine the colors of the lights, the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, said. The particles interact with molecules of atmospheric gases to cause the famed glowing green and reddish colors of the aurora, according to NASA. The aurora forms when the particles flowing from the sun get caught up in the Earth's magnetic field. Northern lights photos: See aurora borealis light up skies across several states What are the northern lights? "The material released during these solar flares and CMEs interact with the Earth's magnetic field and excite particles in our atmosphere resulting in a beautiful light show in our sky known as the aurora," she said. "The sun has been more active, resulting in more solar storms that cause solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME). "There have been an increase in aurora seen in general on Earth," Shannon Schmoll, the director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University told USA TODAY. Well, if you love the aurora, you're in luck, as it may be coming to a sky near you more often over the next few years thanks to the "solar maximum," which occurs in 2025. So why the uptick in aurora sightings? And is this expected to continue? And a more modest event occurred this week. ![]() In late April, for example, a stunning aurora display was seen as far south as Arkansas in the South and Arizona in the West. The northern lights, aka the aurora borealis, have been appearing more frequently in the night sky over the United States recently. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |