NASA has issued warnings about severe solar storms that could lead to internet disruption worldwide for weeks, according to the British site Daily Mail. Every eleven years, the sun enters a chaotic cycle in which it releases massive bursts of energy towards Earth, known as the solar cycle. These phenomena are responsible for the northern lights we have seen in recent months.
The sun is a huge ball of hot, electrically charged gas, where the movement of this gas generates a strong magnetic field. This magnetic field goes through a cycle known as the solar cycle, where a complete reversal of the field occurs approximately every eleven years, exchanging the north and south poles of the sun.
The solar cycle affects the surface activity of the sun, such as the appearance of sunspots caused by magnetic fields. The solar cycle can be tracked by counting the number of these sunspots. The beginning of the cycle represents the minimum level of solar activity, where the sun is at its lowest level of sunspots. Over time, solar activity increases, and a greater number of sunspots appear.
The midpoint of the solar cycle represents the maximum activity, where the number of sunspots reaches its highest levels. At the end of the cycle, activity returns to the minimum level, and a new cycle begins.
Giant explosions such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections increase during the solar cycle. These explosions send powerful bursts of energy and materials into space, which can significantly affect Earth. For example, these explosions may cause auroras to appear in the sky and have a negative impact on wireless communications and power grids.
