The seasons on Earth are a familiar natural# cycle with distinct phases - spring, summer, autumn, winter.
Now, the sun doesn't really# have winter per se, but it does have a regular, predictable cycle of solar activity.
Called the# Solar cycle, Magnetic Activity cycle, or Schwabe cycle after the astronomer who discovered it in# the mid 1800s, this 11-year long cycle can tell us a lot about the Sun.
During each solar cycle,# the Sun reaches a peak of activity known as the solar maximum.
This is where we see an increase in# solar flares and sunspots.
Then a few years later, it reaches a solar minimum with the opposite.# That's fewer solar flares and sunspots.
This cycle does impact life on Earth as well, especially the# solar maximum.
Flares and plasma expulsions can impact satellite communications, GPS systems,# even power grids here on Earth.
However, when the charged particles from the Sun interact with# our planet's magnetic field and upper atmosphere, that's when it gets really exciting because we get# auroras - the northern and southern lights.
Solar maximums make for the most stunning auroras,# especially near the poles.
As sun activity increases during a solar maximum, the likelihood# of strong auroras goes up.
We're not even the only planet with auroras, by the way.
Spacecraft have# found aurora on Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Currently, we're in Solar cycle# number 25, which began in December 2019.
So, solar maximum is expected to peak in 2025.# It is an exciting time to study our Sun and understand the effects it has on Earth and# the night sky.
So, keep looking up this year, Star Gazers.
It's certainly an exciting period to# watch the skies for a potential light show.
For more Star Gazers, click the video below.
Don't# leave me hanging.
Come on, click it.
Click it.