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Scientists Glimpse The First Sunspot of The Next Cycle |
Listed in: Tags: magnetic field, NASA, solar cycle
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If recent observations of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft are any indication, the next sunspot cycle will be exceptionally active.
SOHO recently observed the first sunspot of the next cycle, which has shown up slightly ahead of schedule. Sunspots occur in an 11-year cycle when magnetic fields bubble up from the Sun's interior, causing a dark, cooler spot on the surface. The beginning of the next cycle was not expected until March of 2007. The odd sunspot observed three weeks ago indicates an early start.
Also unusual was this spot's orientation. While sunspots in Sun's southern hemisphere are typically oriented north-south, this one was magnetically backwards, having a south-north orientation. It also showed up closer to the Sun's equator that is usual. According to NASA's David Hathaway, these are indications that the next sunspot cycle is likely to be an active one. It is also evidence that the Sun magnetic polarity may be reversing.
Two other signs that we may see the largest number of sunspots in nearly fifty years are the flow of sunspots and small variations in the Earth's magnetic field. What causes these vibrations is not completely understood, but it has been reliable in predicting the level of sunspot activity. The flow of sunspots is another indicator; these travel from low to high latitudes, where they sink back beneath the sun's surface, then travel back toward the solar equator, re-emerging twenty years later. Back in the 1980's, these sunspots were moving rather quickly, which could mean their magnetic fields will be even stronger when they resurface.
Not everyone believes this sunspot cycle will be stronger than usual. A group at Houston consulting firm believe that this may be the weakest solar cycle in a century because magnetic fields toward the sun's polar regions are currently weak.
Via New Scientist
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