FREAKY SUN FRIDAY

Hey Space Placers!

A Spotless Sun October 29, 2019
Credit: Greg Redfern

Last year scientists made predictions about the Sun's new solar cycle.      

It appears that the new cycle has begun with the appearance of sunspots on our star.

Here are two separate scenarios about events involving our star, the Sun, that will happen.

The first is about the way the Earth will die when the Sun becomes a Red Giant. This will start to kick in about a billion years from now.

The future of our Sun and solar system as seen in the Dumbbell Nebula
Our dead Sun will spew out all of the elements it made in its life into the Milky Way Galaxy
to help form new stars and planets.
Credit: Greg Redfern

The second could happen today - though not likely - but WILL at some point. And that is the Sun having a BIG solar event that would ruin modern civilization's day and for years there after.

Solar Prominences
Credit: Greg Redfern

The only thing standing between us and the second solar situation is our ability to constantly monitor the Sun and be prepared to take action. 

Joining the solar monitoring spacecraft already operating ESA will launch its Solar Orbiter mission from Cape Canaveral February 10, 2020.

I recently blogged about the world's newest and most powerful ground based solar telescope.

All of this adds up to being a good thing for humanity and our modern day civilization. No matter what events are happening worldwide we need to keep watch on our star. Failure to do so and act when the time comes will have disastrous consequences on a scale never before seen......

Sky Guy in VA