The sun will get dimmer and cooler by 2050
- 6 years ago
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA — Scientists are predicting the sun will be cooler and dimmer by 2050.
According to a study published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, the sun will cool down because of the "grand minimum," a period when sunspots form less frequently, the Sun's magnetism is reduced and less ultraviolet radiation makes it to Earth, Tech Times reported.
The phenomenon comes at irregular intervals and is believed to be triggered by random fluctuations in the sun's magnetic field.
By analyzing nearly 20 years of data collected by the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite mission, physicist Dan Lubin, from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and his team predicted a grand minimum could occur within the next few decades.
They also predicted the sun will be seven percent cooler than its usual minimum.
A dimmer sun will affect Earth by first thinning the stratospheric ozone layer, which will then impact wind and weather patterns.
However, the cooling effect will not be enough to stop global warming, according to Lubin.
According to a study published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, the sun will cool down because of the "grand minimum," a period when sunspots form less frequently, the Sun's magnetism is reduced and less ultraviolet radiation makes it to Earth, Tech Times reported.
The phenomenon comes at irregular intervals and is believed to be triggered by random fluctuations in the sun's magnetic field.
By analyzing nearly 20 years of data collected by the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite mission, physicist Dan Lubin, from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and his team predicted a grand minimum could occur within the next few decades.
They also predicted the sun will be seven percent cooler than its usual minimum.
A dimmer sun will affect Earth by first thinning the stratospheric ozone layer, which will then impact wind and weather patterns.
However, the cooling effect will not be enough to stop global warming, according to Lubin.