Solar maximum is coming; Source: Space.com
A Mystery of Time and Light
Solar maximum is coming, but we won’t know it happened until 7 months after it’s over
The sun has been gradually gaining strength as it nears its highest rate of activity — solar maximum — during its approximately 11-year solar cycle.
The solar cycle describes a period of solar activity driven by the sun’s magnetic field and indicated by the frequency and intensity of sunspots visible on the surface.
But, scientists won’t be able to ascertain whether solar maximum has occurred until at least seven months after the fact. We asked ESA’s Space Weather Coordination Center’s (SSCC) solar expert center why this is the case.
