ITERA NEWS. The Sumatra Institute of Technology (ITERA) Atmospheric and Planetary Science Study Program (SAP) held a webinar entitled “The Peak of the 25th Solar Cycle, Coming Sooner: What Do We Need to Do?”, on Thursday, November 16 2023. This activity featured Program academics Astronomy Studies, FMIPA ITB, Prof. Dr. Dhani Herdiwijaya, M.Sc, as resource person. The activity was opened by the SAP Program Coordinator, Dr. Deni Okta Lestari, S.Si., was attended by more than a hundred participants, and guided by the SAP Study Program lecturer, Hendra Agus Prastyo, S.Si., M.Si.
In his presentation. Prof. Dhani Herdiwijaya conveyed about the peak of the 25th solar cycle which came sooner than predicted. The solar cycle is a cycle that includes minimum solar activity and maximum solar activity. Minimum solar activity is characterized by few to no sunspots over a period of a cycle. Meanwhile, maximum solar activity is marked by the number of sunspots on the sun’s surface in one cycle range.
Prof. Dhani Herdiwijaya added, solar activity is a phenomenon when energy dynamics (electromagnetic and plasma) from the sun occur with various time dimensions and non-periodicity time scales. Sunspots are phenomena that occur in the photosphere (surface) of the sun and have been observed since Galileo Galilei’s first telescope was created. The sizes of sunspots also vary, some even exceed the diameter of the Earth. When observed in X-ray waves, maximum solar activity appears 100 times brighter than during minimum solar activity.
The peak phase of the 25th cycle is categorized as starting to occur because the polar magnetic field has passed the solar equator. In the 25th solar cycle, the number of sunspots reaches its peak in 2022.
To the participants, Prof. Dhani Herdiwijaya said that the solar cycle directly influences space weather. Space weather is the dynamics of short-term solar activity that has an impact on human life. “To be able to predict and mitigate space weather, an understanding of solar activity, energy-mass transfer in interplanetary space and interactions with the Earth’s atmosphere is needed,” explained Prof. Dhani Herdiwijaya.
Ejections of radiation and mass from the sun can interact with the Earth’s magnetosphere which can create electric currents that can interfere with hardware, communications and navigation devices on space satellites. When the intensity is very large, the effects can be felt all the way to the earth’s surface, causing disruption to electricity and submarine cable communications.
The 25th solar cycle began in 2020 and is still ongoing today. At the beginning of the 25th cycle, the polar magnetic field strength is lower than the 23rd cycle. This cycle rises faster than cycle 24, but the peak is lower than cycle 23.
The peak phase of the 25th cycle is categorized as starting to occur because the polar magnetic field has passed the solar equator. In the 25th solar cycle, the number of sunspots reaches its peak in 2022. This causes the Sun’s magnetic field to become stronger. The Sun’s stronger magnetic field could reduce the number of cosmic rays reaching Earth’s atmosphere. (Release/PR)
2023-11-21 08:25:51
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