Sun unleashes biggest flare since 2017. Is our star waking up?

Space.com ^ | 31 May 2020 | Mike Wall -

[BenLurkin]

Today's flare was an M-class eruption, so it was no monster. (And it wasn't aimed at Earth, so there's no chance of supercharged auroras from a potential associated coronal mass ejection of solar plasma.) But the outburst could still be a sign that the sun is ramping up to a more active phase of its 11-year activity cycle, NASA officials said. If that's the case, the most recent such cycle, known as Solar Cycle 24, may already have come to an end.

Scientists peg the start of new cycles at "solar minimum," the time when the sun sports the fewest sunspots and the least activity.

"However, it takes at least six months of solar observations and sunspot-counting after a minimum to know when it's occurred," NASA officials wrote today in an update announcing SDO's flare detection.

"Because that minimum is defined by the lowest number of sunspots in a cycle, scientists need to see the numbers consistently rising before they can determine when exactly they were at the bottom," the officials added. "That means solar minimum is an instance only recognizable in hindsight: It could take six to 12 months after the fact to confirm when minimum has actually passed."

[a fool in paradise]

Global warming!!!

[rktman]

Grrrrreta needs to be apprised of the situation. STAT!

[Ken522]

We’re DOOMED!!!

[Bullish]

Since 2017? Big deal... Not.

[frogjerk]

Wuhan Flu: "I'm gonna kill a million..."

Sun: "Hold mah beer..."

[a fool in paradise]

11 year cycle. Right on time.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin.

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[frank ballenger]

Solar flares might cause changes in human behavior such as Dems and BLM types being stupid, irrational and childlike in their temper tantrums. In this case no change noted. Whew.

[amorphous]

There is this wonderful person, Anton Petrov, who has a youtube channel where he presents all things about Space, Math, Science, Coding, and even Investment.

In one of his episodes, he talks about how our Sun is unusually quiet, compared to others of similar size, in regards to Solar Flares - something very important to life on planet Earth!

[moovova]

So no Ice Age?

[ConservativeInPA]

I was prepping for an ice age damn it.

[Paladin2]

I, 4 1, am NOT a fan of Global Cooling

YMMV.

[Paladin2]

So there is no solar science where “scientists” can predict solar output?

[Paladin2]

Sounds like a Science you need to develop.

Very promising it is.

[chopperk]

Trouble is if an ice age happened, there would not be anything to eat.

[broken_clock]

Greta has not signaled her opinion yet.

[DannyTN]

[ConservativeInPA]

Protien. Freeze meat. Thaw meat. Eat meat. Avoid ice sheet/glacier.

[Redcitizen]