Steve’s Virtual Planet

Solar Cycle 25

If you appreciate some nice sunshine, you might also be interested in how our solar system’s central star behaves over the short term. We refer to these solar cycles to describe the periodic and repeating characteristics of our sun. The changes taking place in our sun repeat over time in a roughly 11 year cycle. Hence, the term.

These cycles have have been tracked for over 400 years, ever since the early Galilean days of the Scientific Revolution. We are now in Solar Cycle 25 and the current activity of our sun is under close and detailed scrutiny. Using a fleet of satellites and solar telescopes, we watch our closest star like a hawk, in every wavelength available.

Tune in to NASA’s Space Weather monitoring site and spaceweather.com for day-to-day (literally!) updates on the fascinating life of basic, run-o’-the-mill star in our very neighborhood.

And keep on eye on Steve’s Virtual Planet for future articles on Solar Dynamics such as this trip down memory lane that links to details about the 1859 Carrington Event.

Keep shinin’!!