WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Astro Minute: Solar Max

Episode Date: October 29, 2024

Get ready to see the aurora in today's episode of Astro Minute!

Welcome to the Astro Minute, where we're exploring the universe 60 seconds at a time. I'm Lawrence Smith, and today we're looking for auroras. Solar Cycle 25 is now officially at Solar Max, the peak season of the sun's activity. It is already produced some of the strongest auroras seen in centuries, according to NASA. When solar storms eject energy and charged particles into space, some of that material interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, causing charged, particles to stream along magnetic field lines toward our north and south poles. There, the charged particles collide with atmospheric gases and cause them to release energy, oxygen in the form

of red and green light, and nitrogen, blue and violet light. As solar storms range for the next few months, we may see many more of these brilliant displays of light. That's your Astro Minute.