Did you know that the Sun goes through an activity cycle of about 11 years? During the active phase, called the 'solar maximum', sunspots, solar flares, and northern lights are at their peak. After that, the Sun gradually settles into a quieter phase, known as the 'solar minimum.' We’re currently in Solar Cycle 25, which began in 2019 and is expected to reach its maximum around 2024–2025. After that, activity will slowly decline toward the next quiet phase, likely in the early 2030s.
What does that mean for us? Fewer risks from solar flares and geomagnetic storms, 🥳👌 but also far fewer northern lights—and they’ll only be visible much farther north.😱 (so, book that trip to Scandanavia to see the northern lights feel free to use this post as a reference ;))
Another fun fact, the word 'ursus' is Latin for “bear.” The name Ursa Observatory in Helsinki comes from that same root. It’s a historic observatory, founded in 1926, and still active today. It was there that I first looked through a telescope and saw solar flares with my own eyes 😍
The observatory is located in a park that once belonged to the Russian Emperor Alexander I, who came to Helsinki in 1812. There is a secret and very narrow staircase leading up to the top of the parc, which is also known as the Princess Staircase, because the story goes that the Emperor had it built especially for his daughter.
#northernlights #sun #telescope #finland #helsinko #philosophy #philosophyofscience #science #sunflair #cosmos
Hans
Sabine
Alex