Search results
aljazeera.com
- Earth's tilted axis causes the seasons. Throughout the year, different parts of Earth receive the Sun's most direct rays. So, when the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's summer in the Northern Hemisphere. And when the South Pole tilts toward the Sun, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/
People also ask
What would happen if the Sun was no more?
Is it hard to miss the sun's path across the sky?
What would happen if the sun disappeared?
What would happen if the Sun stopped emitting light and heat?
Jul 21, 2021 · Our readers explore what might happen to Earth if the sun vanished, from dramatic shifts in gravity to the complete loss of light for photosynthesis
Dec 15, 2023 · Solar storms can reach Earth at different strengths and the energy from the Sun can create bright lights in the sky known as auroras, such as the northern lights.
Apr 3, 2023 · The amount of radiation emitted by the sun can be extremely dangerous for astronauts going beyond the protection of Earth's ionosphere - where the planet's atmosphere meets space.
- Tom Acres
Jun 6, 2024 · The Sun is reaching the maximum point of activity in an 11-year cycle. This means that we can expect more explosive outpourings of particles.
- Ian Whittaker
- Rising sunspot numbers. The main way scientists track solar cycle progression is by counting the number of sunspots on our home star's surface. These dark patches are a sign that the sun's magnetic field is getting tangled, which ramps up solar activity.
- X-class flare frequency. Solar flares are bright flashes of light and radiation launched from sunspots. Sometimes they're accompanied by enormous, magnetized clouds of fast-moving particles, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
- Gigantic sunspot. During the build-up to solar maximum, not only do sunspots become more common but they also start to grow much larger. On June 27 of this year, a dark patch, named AR3354, emerged on the solar surface, and within 48 hours, the sunspot's surface area had swelled to 1.35 billion square miles (3.5 billion square kilometers), or 10 times wider than Earth.
- Eerie airglow. One of the most visually stunning indicators that solar maximum is approaching is a rare aurora-like phenomenon known as airglow. Unlike auroras, which form when highly energetic particles from CMEs or solar wind penetrate Earth's magnetosphere and excite gas molecules in the upper atmosphere, airglow is produced by more gradual solar radiation, which becomes more intense in the lead-up to solar maximum.
Oct 19, 2023 · If the Sun suddenly disappeared, the planets would continue in their orbits and eventually leave the solar system. Life on Earth would become very difficult, as the planet would freeze and the atmosphere would disappear.
Jun 13, 2024 · You’ll notice the sun’s path – the ecliptic – higher in the sky during the summer months and lower during the winter. Eventually, you’ll be able to imagine the sun’s path in your sky ...
