Get ready, Earth. The sun's magnetic field is about to do a
180 when the celestial body's electromagnetism flips and changes polarity.
According to NASA-supported observations, the complete
reversal is expected to take place in the coming months.
"It looks like we're no more than three to four months
away from a complete field reversal," Todd Hoeksema, a solar physicist and
director of Stanford University's Wilcox Solar Observatory, said in a statement
released by the agency. "This change will have ripple effects throughout
the solar system."
So should we be concerned about the reversal of the sun's
magnetic field?
History says no.
While the field reversal is a big event for the solar
system, the change in polarity is rather routine. The magnetic flip takes place
at the peak of each solar cycle every 11 years. Nearing the mid-point of the
sun's
24th solar cycle, the star's south pole will soon follow the
north's lead and change its magnetic sign.
The change in polarity will have certain effects throughout
the heliosphere -- the sun's domain, which extends well beyond Pluto -- but, as
NASA notes in its ScienceCasts video, one of the largest effects Earth can
expect is some stormy space weather around the planet. Astronauts in orbit may
also see some changes in cosmic rays, which could be a potential danger.
The 11-year cycle governs the level of solar activity on the
sun. This year, during the peak of the cycle when solar activity is the
strongest, the flip will be accompanied by increased levels of turbulence, such
as sunspots.
However, as solar physicists have pointed out, 2013's cycle
peak has turned out to be one of the weakest observed in the past century, with
relatively minimal activity.
Watch NASA's Science Casts video below for a thorough
explanation of the magnetic field reversal:
Source: Huffington Post
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