It is interesting to note how different researchers puts the Sun due to its unusual behavior of producing the solar wind electric field. Some say— The Sun is like a snake that sheds its skin while others assume that the sun is a mighty chef that stirs sunspots, boils electrified gasses, then serves up the main course - violent solar weather in the form of a coronal mass ejection (CME) with a side of solar flare.
Previously solar activity used to go unnoticed on Earth, though record keeping began almost 400 years ago. Astronomers have been counting sunspots since the days of Galileo, watching solar activity rise and fall every 11 years. Curiously, four of the five biggest cycles on record have come in the past 50 years. But now, the Sun is just past its low-point in an 11-year cycle of activity and big eruptions can happen anytime. Hey ... One just did.
Evidence is mounting: the next solar cycle is going to be a big one. Solar cycle 24, due to peak in 2010 or 2011 looks like its going to be one of the most intense cycles. That means, in the extreme, these storms cause power outages and even make compass needles swing in the wrong direction not to talk about the threat it poses to the satellites and astronomers whole in the space. The only beautiful side effect are the Auroras.
Just to give you an idea that how intense the 24th cycle is going to be, check the diagrams below—
In the plot, above, black curves are solar cycles; the amplitude is the sunspot number. Red curves are geomagnetic indices, specifically the Inter-hour Variability Index or IHV. These indices are derived from magnetometer data recorded at two points on opposite sides of Earth: one in England and another in Australia. IHV data have been taken every day since 1868.
Via: Physorg
