The Sun is ‘waking up’ and Nasa doesn’t know why
Nasa warns of surging solar activity, reversing decades-long trend
- Nasa has warned of a significant increase in solar activity, exceeding scientists' predictions and reversing a decades-long weakening trend.
- A new study led by Jamie Jasinski of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory found the Sun has become increasingly active since 2008, contrary to expectations of continued low activity.
- This heightened solar activity, including coronal mass ejections and solar flares, can cause radio blackouts, satellite damage, GPS errors, and potential power grid failures on Earth.
- Charged particles emitted during these solar events can also disturb Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, leading to stronger auroras such as the Northern and Southern Lights.
- Nasa plans to launch two new missions, the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory and Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe, to further space weather research.