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Double photo showing the sun at its maximum energy (left) and at the minimum and at the beginning of the new solar cycle.
The maximum activity will be in July 2025.
Solar cycle 25 has officially begun. This was announced by experts from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Agency. This is extremely important for life and technology on Earth, as well as for astronauts in space.
The solar minimum passed in December last year and thus the new cycle was launched, explained the forecast panel for cycle number 25. They are from both organizations. Because the sun is too moody and it usually takes months after the actual event to be confirmed. Scientists use sunspots to monitor the cycle. They are related to its activity, such as solar rockets or coronal mass ejection (emission of light, energy and material into space).
“When we go beyond solar minimum and reach the maximum of cycle 25, it is important to remember that solar activity does not stop. It’s changing like the pendulum of a clock, “said Lika Gahatakurta, a solar scientist in the helioptics division at NASA headquarters in Washington.
The two agencies, with the help of the crisis management team, have worked together on the US National Space Plan for Climate Strategy, the primary goal of which is to protect the country from space threats. The weather via satellites is constantly monitored and NASA is developing models for the impact of space weather.
Predicting the weather in space is crucial for the Artemis program of new spacecraft, and especially for astronauts. This is the first step to track
the impact of cosmic radiation on humans. The first two projects are related precisely to the study of space weather around the Moon. Scientists are trying to do something similar to the daily forecast they give on television.
“There is no bad weather. There is a forecast of bad weather,” said Jake Bleecher, NASA’s chief scientist responsible for human impact. “Spacetime is what it is. And our task is to predict it,” he said.
Understanding solar cycles is one of the most important things to do when preparing weather forecasts in outer space. To understand the beginning of the new cycle, American scientists have been in constant contact with the World Center for Information on the Sunspot Index and Long-Term Solar Observation, located at the Royal Observatory in the Belgian capital, Brussels. There the sunspots are monitored and their minimums and maximums are indicated.
“We have detailed developments for each point of the sun, which mark the emergence of a new cycle. Large solar fireworks begin with them. Only following the general trend for months can allow us to determine the beginning or end of a cycle,” said the director of the center, Frederick Clete.
After passing solar minimum, scientists expect solar activity to increase to a maximum, which should be in July 2025. According to solar physicist Doug Blaiseker, this cycle will be similar to the previous one, or in other words, weaker than level. intermediate. But there are certain risks.
“The fact that it is below average does not mean that we cannot expect bad space weather. The influence of the sun in our lives is a reality. That is why we constantly monitor its activities, because it can always give us additional information,” he said.
The next big step in weather forecasting will be the L1 Observatory, launching in 2024, just before maximum solar activity.
“We need to make the most accurate forecasts. This is an effort by 24 national agencies, with the goal of operations science.” Every minute you know what’s going on, “said Syed Talent of the US National Weather Service.
Spacetime doesn’t just affect astronaut and astronaut missions. And our normal life. Due to the activity of the sun, radio signals can be interrupted, as well as wireless Internet signals.
Radiation from space affects even the normal flight of aircraft. Especially if the path passes through one of the Earth’s poles. And most of the overseas routes pass right above them. At an altitude of more than 8 kilometers, there is no way not to suffer a more serious exposure to cosmic radiation. Therefore, with a stronger field, the flight plans change.
According to some studies, pilots on these flights are more likely to get cancer than normal people. However, the evidence is not that strong at this time. Without a doubt, such an illness puts an end to the pilot.
Time in space and the Sun are directly related to the Earth’s climate. The amount of energy entering the troposphere and stratosphere from space is too small compared to ultraviolet particles in the Sun’s electromagnetic spectrum. And some say it has something to do with the 11-year cycle of sunspots and time on Earth, although there is still no hard evidence. For example, Mauder’s minimum, a period of 70 years with almost no spots, is said to be associated with colds. Others suggest that the scattering of cosmic rays leads to a change in the composition of clouds. Some go even further. According to them, the spread of ultraviolet rays directly affects climate change such as El Niño.
But the most important thing is to have a space weather forecast right now. When humanity opens up to other planets.
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