Sunspots have not been observed in 31 days so far this year, compared to 32 that were recorded in all 2016. What consequences for the inhabitants of the Earth this phenomenon?
A phenomenon registered on the 10th and 11th of this month on the surface of the Sun: all its spots disappeared, which caused a surprise among fans of astronomical observation. The images of the telescope of the Solar Dynamics Observatory of NASA captured this May 12 also do not show that spots are occurring in the star.
These spots are an indication of the activity of the star and its absence in recent months is proving unusual: this year there were 31 days without any darkening in the Sun, compared to 32 that were accounted for in all 2016, according to the newspaper ' The Washington Post '.
Sunspots are disturbances in the Sun's atmosphere. They appear darker because they are colder than the surrounding areas and are often linked to solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These phenomena cause emissions of X-rays and high-energy particles that can reach the Earth and cause magnetic storms.
These emissions can also cause auroras and radio blackouts by interacting with the Earth's atmosphere and heating their upper layers.
The activity of the Sun varies in cycles of approximately 11-12 years from a minimum of solar activity until it reaches a maximum and returns to the minimum. We are currently experiencing a cycle of minimums, and this unusual increase in days without sunspots could be a sign of that.
What consequences could this have for us on Earth? For our day to day, not many: we will have less auroras and there will be less possibility of radioelectric blackouts or magnetic storms.