Sunspots, Solar Storms, and Aurorae: Exploring Solar Maximum

With dazzling auroras lighting up the night sky across the US in recent months, the Sun's increasing activity has become more apparent than ever. These awe-inspiring and far-reaching light shows are tied to the increased solar activity as we move deeper into Solar Cycle 25. In this lecture, we will explore the dynamic behavior of our Sun and its 11-year solar cycle. Specifically, we will focus on the effects of solar maximum, a period of heightened solar activity that manifests through increased sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections. Beyond generating spectacular auroras, increased solar activity has the potential to disrupt and interfere with our technological infrastructure, including satellites, GPS, and power grids. I will also briefly discuss connections between the Sun's solar cycle and those observed in other stars. Lastly, I will summarize results from cutting-edge solar missions that reveal unprecedented insights into the behavior of our Sun.

Speaker: Oana Vesa, Stanford University

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