In the next 2-3 months, the sun’s magnetic field is going to flip – its North Pole will start turning into South Pole & vice-versa. The world aviation industry, telecommunication and the places on high latitudes are going to witness this cosmic interposition of the sun’s magnetic field in the coming months. During this flip, sun’s magnetic field will be the weakest. However, this corresponds with the peak of the 11-year sunspot cycle, when chances of solar magnetic storms are high. These can pose a threat to the satellites, telecommunication devices, air traffic on polar routes and power grids of places at high latitudes. In March 1989, Canada’s Quebec witnessed a massive power outage due to a power grid shutdown for several hours, leaving almost 6 million people without electricity. Scientists are watching the event closely to fully understand the changes that take place. It’s also of special interest because the current solar cycle — the 24th since 1755, when sunspot activity began to be recorded — is one of the weakest in 100 years. A strong solar magnetic field also acts as a shield against cosmic rays coming from outer space.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 08:10:18 +0000