What a spectacular evening last night with loads of pictures coming into Subby’s Weather Talk with the Northern Lights! I have received so many inquiry’s on how we have been able to see so many this year. Well the answer is that we are in the Solar Maximum time period. Solar maximum is the period of peak activity in the sun’s 11 year cycle. During this time, the sun experiences an increase in solar flares, sunspots, and solar radiation output. Solar maximums can last for two to three years. The Sun can unleash immense explosions of light, energy, and solar radiation, all of which create conditions known as space weather. We are not exactly how sure long this will last. It began around April of 2024. Scientists can predict solar activity by counting the number of sunspots on the sun. During solar maximum, there can be up to 200 sunspots visible at once. The next solar maximum, which is part of Solar Cycle 25, is expected to occur in July 2025. I also was asked about why just the 2 particular colors we see (red,yellow) is visible. Here is a great informative chart on the colors. I will also leave you with a few awesome photos from Subby’s Weather Talk last night. Thank you Devin Foster, Angie Reaves, Katherine Brock and Lisa Shaeffer Mulvey for the pictures! Enjoy the weekend!
