From the 1980s thru 2008, scientists observed that nuclear activity inside the Sun was continuously trending downward, and it was expected that this would continue. However, a new study by the American Astronomical Society has revealed that the Sun has ditched this downward trajectory and has instead increased in activity since 2008. According to the researchers, this unexpected change could cause a rise in solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and other space weather events.
When these solar activities increase, the Sun’s influence on the Earth is stronger, pushing and compressing the Earth’s magnetosphere. That’s our protective bubble that shields the planet from harmful plasma flowing from the Sun, known as the “solar wind.”
Scientists study solar activity to predict space weather, ensure astronauts’ safety, and protect power grids on Earth. For 25 years prior to 2008, sunspots (dark areas on the sun’s surface) and solar wind got increasingly weaker, so much so that scientists thought 2008 would usher in a new period of unusually low solar activity in modern times. However, it turns out that 2008 was not the start of a new low but rather the beginning of a fresh rise in solar activity.
Jamie Jasinski, lead author of the study, says, “The trend of declining solar activity ended, and since then plasma and magnetic field parameters have steadily been increasing.” Scientists will continue measuring solar activity to determine if the uptick will continue in future solar cycles or if parameters will stay stable.