Solar maximum expected in 2012
As I’ve mentioned in past articles, activity on our sun has been minimal over the last year. Within the last 30 days, there have been no sunspots visible. With few or no storms on the sun, the energy output has decreased about 0.1 percent. Although the percentage seems insignificant, global temperatures have cooled from the peak in the late 1990s.
Our sun was active in the mid-to-late 1990s, when global temperatures were rising at a dramatic pace. Many scientists claimed the high number of sunspots during that time was “unusual.”
Our inactive sun is currently in a solar minimum cycle, which occurs approximately every 11 years. This current time frame of solar inactivity is lasting longer than expected. The last time our sun went on a long period of inactivity was during a 70-year span called the “Maunder Minimum.” This occurred between 1645 and 1715, which likely contributed to The Little Ice Age.
Assuming our sun continues on its normal cycle, the next solar maximum cycle is due in late 2012 and early 2013. Many scientists believe that this new cycle will be stronger than the last one in the late 1990s. If this is the case, our planet would likely rebound in terms of temperature. We could also be vulnerable to strong solar flares.
A new movie (I won’t say which one in case you haven’t seen it) suggests that a super solar flare would literally wipe out all life on Earth. It’s just Hollywood. Our atmosphere protects us from solar flares and it’s unlikely one would ever be strong enough to destroy life as we know it.
However, a super solar flare could seriously set the world back many years in terms of technology. Orbiting satellites, modern electronics and power grids could be severely damaged. On Aug. 4, 1972, a strong solar flare knocked out long-distance telephone communication across Illinois. On March 13, 1989, electric power transmission was disrupted from the Hydro Quebec generating station in Canada, plunging over 6 million people into darkness for nine hours.
The most spectacular super solar flare was witnessed by England’s foremost solar astronomer, Richard Carrington, on Sept. 1, 1989. He first noticed a huge group of sunspots, then two brilliant beads of blinding white light over the sunspots before they disappeared. Just before dawn the next day, tremendous auroras of red, green and purple erupted across Earth. The auroras were so brilliant that one could read a newspaper at night. The brilliant colors could also be seen as far south as Cuba and Hawaii.
Not only should we watch our own weather on Earth, it’s a good idea to keep tabs on “space weather” too, especially in regard to the sun.