Solar Minimum is having a calming effect on Earth's magnetic field. The deepening quiet is shown in these geomagnetic data, taken by Stuart Green of Preston, Lancashire, UK, during each of the past 3 summers:
"I've plotted the changing levels of geomagnetic activity for the months of May, June and July (between the equinoxes) for the years 2017, 2018 and 2019," explains Green, who operates a research-grade magnetometer buried in his backyard. "The trend is clearly downward, with less frequent and intense storms in 2019, as the sun continues deeper into Solar Minimum."
His data show why minor G1-class geomagnetic storms, which would rarely be mentioned during Solar Maximum, are suddenly noteworthy. Any magnetic storm is news at this point in the solar cycle.
The quiet won't last forever, though. A panel led by experts from NOAA and NASA predict that the solar cycle will bottom out in late 2019 with a bounce back to higher levels of activity beginning sometime in 2020. Meanwhile, G1 is a significant magnetic storm.
www.spaceweather.com
His data show why minor G1-class geomagnetic storms, which would rarely be mentioned during Solar Maximum, are suddenly noteworthy. Any magnetic storm is news at this point in the solar cycle.
The quiet won't last forever, though. A panel led by experts from NOAA and NASA predict that the solar cycle will bottom out in late 2019 with a bounce back to higher levels of activity beginning sometime in 2020. Meanwhile, G1 is a significant magnetic storm.
www.spaceweather.com
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