The Sun Has Just ‘Gone Blank’ - Could There Be An Ice Age On The Way?

Don’t be alarmed, but our sun has just ‘gone blank’ - with a total lack of sunspots leaving the surface like a snooker ball.

It’s part of the sun’s cycles - a sign that the ‘solar minimum’ is approaching - and some experts have suggested a new ‘mini ice age’ might be on the way.

Meteorology expert Paul Dorian of Vencore Weather says, ‘For the second time this month, the sun has gone completely blank.
The blank sun is a sign that the next solar minimum is approaching and there will be an increasing number of spotless days over the next few years.

‘At first, the blankness will stretch for just a few days at a time, then it’ll continue for weeks at a time, and finally it should last for months at a time when the sunspot cycle reaches its nadir. The next solar minimum phase is expected to take place around 2019 or 2020.’
Some experts predict that we could soon see a ‘Maunder minimum’ phase - a mini ice age similar to one which began in 1645.

During the ‘Maunder Minimum’, temperatures plunged so much that the Thames froze over.
Prof Valentina Zharkova of Northumbria University predicts that there will be a sharp decline in solar activity between 2020 and 2050.

Zharkova said, last year, ‘I am absolutely confident in our research. It has good mathematical background and reliable data, which has been handled correctly. In fact, our results can be repeated by any researchers with the similar data available in many solar observatories, so they can derive their own evidence of upcoming Maunder Minimum in solar magnetic field and activity.’

This article originally appeared on Yahoo

Comments

This Tiny Hummingbird Can Fly 1,200 Miles Without Stopping

A type of hummingbird that measures just a few inches in length can fly more than 1,200 miles without stopping during its annual migration from the U.S. East Coast to Central America, according to new research . The new study, published in the journal The Auk: Ornithological Advances, provides some of the first evidence on how Tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbirds travel during their fall migration . The results suggest that the species has significant differences from the Rufous Hummingbirds—its more studied counterpart. But some Tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are better equipped for their annual journey than others. The study shows that older birds tend to migrate earlier, travel faster and arrive with relatively few wounds from their journey. Male birds can also travel farther without rest than their female counterparts. Researchers in Alabama temporarily captured more than 2,700 passing hummingbirds over a five-year period to learn about t...

Testosterone link to heart attacks in men

Testosterone may be one of the reasons why men are more prone to heart attacks than women, according to new research. Edinburgh University scientists examined the effects of testosterone on blood vessel tissue and found it triggered the production of hard deposits or calcification. The deposits “powerfully” predict the chance of death or major problems due to heart disease, they said. During the study mice had testosterone receptors removed. The mice then produced fewer hard deposits as they could no longer respond to the hormone. Heart valves Calcification causes blood vessels to harden and thicken, making the heart work harder to pump blood around the body. It can also affect the valves of the heart, preventing them opening and shutting properly. The authors said their findings suggested testosterone played a role in calcification and the discovery may lead to new treatments to prevent heart disease. Researchers also examined blood vessel and valve tissue fr...

What to Know About Spider-Man and Iron Man's New Suits in Avengers: Infinity War

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War . Both Spider-Man and Iron Man show off new suits with new technology in Avengers: Infinity War . Peter Parker finally gets to don the suit that Iron Spider suit that was offered him at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming . It has a new color scheme and legs that emerge from the back. Meanwhile, Tony has a new electromagnet installed in his chest, even though he no longer needs to repel shrapnel from his heart. Tony brags that the chest device powers new nanotech that allows the suit to generate and regenerate on Tony’s body. There’s little time in the jam-packed film for Tony Stark to explain the various features of the new outfits and how they work. But these suits have a storied history in the comic books, and the film nods to that lore. Here’s what you need to know: The Iron Spider Suit Tony makes the Iron Spider suit for Peter in the comic books. That’s true in the movie too: We se...

Welcome to 5Cornerkicks Blog World

Search This Blog