What is a Solar Cycle?

About Solar Cycle:

• Our Sun is a huge ball of electrically charged hot gas.
• This charged gas moves, generating a powerful magnetic field.
• The Sun's magnetic field goes through a cycle called the solar cycle.
• Every 11 years or so, the Sun's magnetic field completely flips. This means that the Sun's north and south poles switch places.
• Then it takes about another 11 years for the Sun’s north and south poles to flip back again.
• Thus, the solar cycle is the cycle that the Sun’s magnetic field goes through approximately every 11 years.
• The solar cycle affects activity on the surface of the Sun, such as sunspots, which are caused by the Sun's magnetic fields.
• As the magnetic fields change, so does the amount of activity on the Sun's surface.
• One way to track the solar cycle is by counting the number of sunspots.
  • The beginning of a solar cycle is a solar minimum, or when the Sun has the least sunspots.
  • Over time, solar activity—and the number of sunspots—increases.
  • The middle of the solar cycle is the solar maximum, or when the Sun has the most sunspots.
  • As the cycle ends, it fades back to the solar minimum, and then a new cycle begins.
• Giant eruptions on the Sun, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, also increase during the solar cycle.
  • These eruptions send powerful bursts of energy and material into space.
  • This activity can have effects on Earth. For example, eruptions can cause lights in the sky, called aurora, or impact radio communications.
  • Extreme eruptions can even affect electricity grids on Earth.

Q1: What are Solar Flares?

Solar flares are large explosions that occur at the sun's surface when twisted magnetic-field lines suddenly snap, emitting large bursts of electromagnetic radiation. Flares are our solar system’s largest explosive events. They are seen as bright areas on the sun, and they can last from minutes to hours. In a matter of just a few minutes, they heat the material to many millions of degrees and produce a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, including from radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays.

Source: Indian Institute of Astrophysics astronomers find new method to predict amplitude of upcoming solar cycle