The sun hasn’t seen this many sunspots in one month since 2002.
In June 2023, more than 160 sunspots formed on the Sun, the highest number in a month in more than two decades.
As statistics show, the current solar cycle, the 25th since the start of registration, is gaining intensity much faster than NASA and the US Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted. This raises concerns about severe “space weather” events in the coming months.
The space agencies predicted a modest 125 sunspots per month during the solar cycle maximum of 25. Now, the Sun has not peaked yet and is already producing almost 200 sunspots per month. Some scientists believe that a record of 200 spots will be set in the coming year.
Will there be a storm soon? The sun has a record number of sunspots
Astrophysicist Keith Strong wrote on his Twitter page on Sunday:
Highest average monthly sunspot count since September 2002! In June 2023, [it] was 163.4, the highest reading in more than 20 years.
More sunspots means not only more solar flares, but also more coronal mass ejections, powerful eruptions of charged particles that make up the solar wind. And that could mean bad “space weather” on Earth. Intense bursts of solar wind can penetrate the Earth’s magnetic field, causing mesmerizing auroras, but also causing serious problems with power grids and satellites in Earth’s orbit.
