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Explosive sun expected to spark radio blackouts and northern lights as activity hits 23-year-high earlier than expected
It could have implications for technologies we use daily
THE sun has reached its highest sunspot count in over two decades, usurping scientists' expectations.
While these dark blotches may seem harmless, they can give way to powerful solar flares that trigger global blackouts.
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In August, there was an average of 215.5 daily sunspots on the sun's surface - more than twice as high as anticipated.
Sunspots are regions of the sun's surface where its magnetic field is most powerful.
These planet-sized regions are cooler than their surroundings, making them darker by comparison.
Sunspots are one indicator of the progress of the sun's 11-year solar cycle, during which the star's magnetic field fluctuates.
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The sun's least active phase, dubbed the solar minimum, is when the frequency of sunspots decreases dramatically.
But as the sun's magnetic field weakens, sunspot numbers climb before reaching a high during the solar maximum.
Scientists believe the unusually high concentration indicates that the solar maximum is well underway.
For reference, the last time the monthly average climbed this high was in September 2001, when readings peaked at a daily average of 238.2 sunspots.
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This year, numbers spiked on August 8 with a record 337 sunspots - the highest reading in a 24-hour period since March 2001.
The phenomenon is monitored by the Space Weather Prediction Center, a collaborative effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service.
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While we can't know for certain that we're experiencing the solar maximum until after sunspot numbers drop, this year has seen several powerful solar flares.
The term describes a sudden, intense burst of electromagnetic radiation from the sun's surface.
Solar flare power is denoted by a letter beginning with A-class and followed by B, C, M, and X.
Each letter represents a 10-fold increase in energy, making an X-class flare by far the most intense.
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The most recent X-class flare exploded on August 14, coloring the night sky with vivid auroras.
This followed an eruption on May 14 that triggered the most powerful geomagnetic storm in over six years.
And that wasn't all. Days later, the sun ejected an even stronger burst of energy — the most intense since 2017.
Solar radiation fluxes can wreak havoc on technology people use daily, like geolocation services and radio signals.
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A large enough solar flare can set off a geomagnetic storm on Earth, with the potential to short telecom satellites and disrupt the power grid.
The most powerful storms are caused by coronal mass ejections, sudden electromagnetic bursts that usually occur alongside large solar flares.
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However, large-scale devastation is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
The most extreme outage in recent memory was the 1989 CME that knocked out the Hydro-Quebec power field, plunging the Canadian city into darkness for nine hours.
What is a solar flare?
You may have heard of solar flares' disruptive impact on communication technology - but what are they?
Solar flares are large outbursts of electromagnetic radiation from the sun's surface.
In order of increasing power, solar flares are classified by the letters A, B, C, M, and X, with X-class flares being the biggest.
The phenomenon occurs when magnetic energy builds up in the solar atmosphere and is suddenly released.
Solar flares tend to explode from regions of the sun that contain sunspots.
These darker portions of the solar surface contain the strongest magnetic fields.
We have already witnessed several solar flares this year, amid solar cycle 25.
Solar maximum - the highest rate of activity during the sun's 11-year solar cycle - is predicted to occur next year.
This means we will likely see even more solar flares in 2025.
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