If Total solar eclipse on April 8 in North America put a pair of solar filters – shaped eclipse glasses – in millions of households. It’s time to find them because there’s something to see in the sun this week that could soon produce impressive things. northern lights and southern lights.

This is due to increased solar activity and the appearance of black sunspots on the southeastern flank, which leave visible marks on the sun. If you have eclipse glasses, you can immediately go outside and see them. Counting sunspots—dark, planet-sized regions on the sun’s surface created by strong magnetic fields—is how scientists calculate how magnetically active the sun is currently. Sunspots are a 23 year high.

Note: It is dangerous to look at the sun with anything other than a certified safe solar filter (eclipse glass) that meets the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard. Don’t make your own, don’t use sunglasses and don’t use welder’s glass (sometimes use the latter if it’s safe, but only if it’s Grade 13 or 14, which is hard to control). The American Astronomical Society maintains a list Suppliers of Safe Solar Filters and Imagers.

Solar Activity Is Increasing

The Sun caused an X9 solar flare (a sudden and intense burst of radiation) on October 3, the largest so far of Solar Cycle 25. After the subsequent result Aurora worldwide on October 10-11The sun went quiet for a while. This was demonstrated dramatically on Thursday, October 24, when an X3.3 class solar flare was imaged by NASA’s SOHO spacecraft, followed by a smaller M1.2 class solar flare, and an M1.1 class solar flare on Friday, October 25. ended. flare. On Saturday, October 26, solar flares M9.5 and X1.8 were seen an hour apart. This is very rare. An M1.6 flare soon followed.

These latest solar flares come mostly from AR3873, AR3872, and AR3869; Active regions located very close together on the sun are part of a large group of sunspots to the southeast of the sun. Crucially, these active regions are on the Earth-facing side, so any coronal mass ejections (clouds of charged particles ejected from the sun) they produce could be directed towards Earth. Dramatic auroras could be visible next week as CMEs take several days to reach Earth from the sun.

How to Use Solar Eclipse Glasses?

The sun only covers half a degree of the sky, so trying to find it while wearing eclipse glasses isn’t easy. A good way to use solar eclipse glasses is this:

• Stand and face the sun with your eyes on the ground.
• Bring the eclipse glasses closer to your face and secure them in place.
• Crane your neck to look at the sun directly in front of or above you.

Solar Maximum News

After the aurora on October 10-11, announcement The sun has reached its “solar maximum” phase by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Solar Cycle 25 Forecast Panel. This peak of the 11-year solar cycle, in which the sun’s magnetic activity waxes and wanes, could continue into the next year or longer.

This means there’s a good chance of more Northern Lights sightings. As a bonus, scientists think the solar maximum will likely last longer than normal and produce frequent and powerful geomagnetic storms through 2026.

What Are Solar Eclipse Glasses Used For?

Solar eclipse glasses protect your eyes by blocking short-wavelength bluish visible light that can damage your retina. As a result of our evolution under the sun, the solar spectrum peaks at the point where the human eye is most sensitive, and this short wavelength of sunlight causes a photochemical reaction.

Solar eclipse glasses are made by passing boiling aluminum over polyester film to create an aluminum-coated polyester filter. Other types of solar filters are made of dark polymer resin impregnated with carbon black.

I wish you clear skies and wide eyes.