During ‘total solar eclipse’ on April 8, Sun will be in a period of ‘solar maximum’. What it means?

A total solar eclipse is a phenomenal celestial event that will occur on Monday, April 8, as the Moon will entirely obscure the Sun, unlike a partial solar eclipse, during which only a portion of the Sun is obscured. Meanwhile, NASA shared a video on Friday explaining that this eclipse occurs during the ‘solar maximum’ period, which increases the possibility of a ‘solar eruption’.

“During the April 8th total solar #eclipse, our Sun will be in a period of high activity known as solar maximum. We might even see a solar eruption during the eclipse!” NASA Sun & Space said in an X post.

According to a Live Science report, solar activity has surged significantly in the past two months. Immense sunspots, frequent X-class solar flares (the most potent type of solar explosion), and towering plasma plumes have been observed.

Additionally, on March 23, Earth encountered its most substantial geomagnetic storm in over six years when a massive cloud of plasma and radiation, termed as a coronal mass ejection (CME), collided with the planet.

What is Solar Maximum?

According to NASA, the Sun exhibits varying behaviours over time, cycling between periods of high and low activity known as the solar cycle. Roughly every 11 years, the Sun’s magnetic poles “reverse their polarity,” leading to changes in its photosphere, chromosphere, and corona from tranquil to highly active states.

During the solar activity cycle peak, referred to as ‘solar maximum’, there’s a significant rise in solar storm occurrences. This period sees an increase in phenomena like sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections.

According to the Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel, comprised of international experts co-sponsored by NASA and NOAA, the current solar cycle, Solar Cycle 25, commenced in December 2019, coinciding with the solar minimum phase.

Some experts speculate that the onset of the solar maximum phase might have occurred approximately a year earlier than originally predicted. However, certainty regarding this can only be determined well after its conclusion.

Solar eruptions may occur during this eclipse. What can they do?

– Solar activity can release vast amounts of energy and particles, some of which affect Earth. The Carrington Event, named after British astronomer Richard Carrington who observed a solar flare on September 1, 1859, triggered the most intense geomagnetic storm on record. Telegraph systems worldwide malfunctioned, with sparks shocking operators and igniting telegraph paper.

– Another solar flare on March 13, 1989, led to geomagnetic storms disrupting electric power transmission from Canada’s Hydro Québec generating station, causing a 9-hour blackout for 6 million people.

– In December 2005, X-rays emitted during a solar storm disrupted satellite-to-ground communications and Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation signals for approximately 10 minutes.

(With inputs from NASA official site)