Solar storms may become more damaging to aircraft and spacecraft

August 18, 2011
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Researchers at the Reading University, England, reported that “Within a few decades, solar storms can become more damaging to aircraft and spacecraft.”

The research was published in Geophysical Research Letters, and it predicted that “once the Sun moves into a period of low solar activity, more dangerous wave of radiation will reach the Earth.”

Experts stated that “the sun is currently in a period of great activity. This phase began in the 1920s and lasted throughout the space age.”

According Professor Mike Lockwood, physics at the Reading University, “All the evidence suggests that the sun will soon leave a large solar maximum, which lasted from before the beginning of the space age.”

In a large solar maximum, the peaks of 11-year solar cycle are larger and the average number of flares and associated events such as coronal mass ejections are greatest.”

On the other hand, in a solar minimum there are almost no sunspots for several decades. The last time this happened was during the Maunder Minimum, between 1650 and 1700.”

“The increase in radiation is a particular problem for the aviation and communications technologies that did not exist the last time the solar cycle finished his maximum”, experts said.