The Sun’s Global Magnetic Field is About to Flip - Solar Max Is Around The Corner

Solar Maximum is coming--maybe this year. New research by a leading group of solar physicists predicts maximum sunspot activity in late 2023 or early 2024, a full year earlier than other forecasts. Another big event is now underway. The sun’s global magnetic field is about to flip. This happens near the peak of every solar cycle. Magnetic fields near the sun’s poles weaken, change sign, and start growing again in the opposite direction. It’s like taking a bar magnet from your refrigerator and flipping it upside down--except this bar magnet is as big as a star. Measurements from Stanford’s Wilcox Solar Observatory (pictured above) confirm that the weakening is underway now, with polar magnetic fields probably crossing zero in no more than a few months. “Historically the zero crossing precedes actual sunspot number maximum by 6 to 12 months,“ says McIntosh, “so this is in accord with our prediction of an early Solar Max.“ This forecast is about to be tested, with confirmation as little as 6 to 12 months away. Thanks for watching! #solarmax #terminationevent #solarcycle Images credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, SDO, Scott McIntosh et al. Music intro: Hitman by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Source: Artist: Music credit: Drifting 2 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence () Artist: