The sun’s poles are about to reverse. Should you be worried?
The sun, which is currently flipping its poles. Just like Earth, the Sun has two magnetic poles — the Magnetic North and the Magnetic South. However, on the Sun, this event happens more frequently; every 11 years to be precise. The last time this occurred was in 2013, meaning that it is due to happen again soon. Scientists predict that when it does occur this year, it will be an epic transformation.
Despite concerns over how terrifying this may seem for us Earthlings, there is no need for alarm as these events are a regular part of the solar cycle. Before each flip occurs, leading up to pole reversal, intense magnetic activity takes place resulting in extravagant fireworks such as solar flares or mass ejections known as “solar storms.”. These storms consist of charged matter being hurled out of the sun at hundreds of thousands of kilometers per hour across our solar system.
The results depend on what happens after they reach Earth’s magnetic field, which acts like an umbrella, deflecting most but not all impacts from these storms (similarly to rain bouncing off an umbrella). In some scenarios where these storms are particularly strong and manage to break through our planet’s protective shield via disruptions with communication satellites and GPS systems in space or electrical grids on land, disasters can cost trillions!
However rare such incidents may be, scientists have found active periods for studying sun patterns beneficial overall with opportunities arising from digging deeper into their behavior providing new insights while also providing people with exciting vacation plans!
