The sun will be 'gentle' for 100 years

The US Aerospace Agency (NASA) predicts this year the sun will be the weakest in a century.

Joe Gurman, a scientist who participates in NASA's solar tracking project, said that the number of sunspots on the sun is at its lowest level in 100 years although its activity is at its peak in the 11-year cycle. , Space reported.

The number of sunspots on the sun is extremely low. (Photo: NASA)

"If we count the number of sunspots, the sun's activity will reach its lowest level in a century in 2013," Gurman said.

Sunspot is a region with a strong magnetic field on the sun to release energy from inside to its surface. They are darker than the surrounding areas due to their lower temperatures. The number of black marks that humans can see on the sun always changes over a period of 11 years. The largest black spots can stretch to tens of thousands of kilometers.

Although the sun will become "meek" this year, NASA scientists will continue to monitor it, because a massive solar storm can cause charged particles to hit Earth. , paralyzing the operation of telecommunications satellites and power transmission systems.

On December 31, 2012, the US Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite detected a powerful outbreak on the surface of the sun. The outbreak created a stream of charged particles of up to 257,000km in length, meaning 20 times the diameter of the sun. However, NASA claims it is not the strongest outbreak on the solar system's only star.