WASHINGTON (AP) — A new
solar cycle is under way.
The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration said Friday that the
first sunspot of a new 11-year cycle has appeared in the sun's northern
hemisphere.
The frequency of sunspots
rises and falls during these cycles, and the start
of a new cycle indicates they are likely to begin increasing.
Sunspots, areas of intense
magnetic activity on the sun, can affect Earth by disrupting electrical grids,
airline and military communications, GPS signals and even cell phones, the
agency said. During periods of intense sunspot activity, known as solar storms,
highly charged radiation from the sun may head toward Earth.
"Our growing
dependence on highly sophisticated, space-based technologies means we are far
more vulnerable to space weather today than in the past,'' said NOAA
Administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr.
Last April an international
panel of solar experts forecast that Solar Cycle 24 would start in March 2008,
plus or minus six months. The panel was split between those predicting a strong or
weak cycle.
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