Modern Grand Solar Minimum

According to some scientists, the sun is entering a situation of solar minimum and it is about to enter the deepest time of sunshine recession because the sunspots are not visible to the scientists at all. The sun in the solar system includes a solar cycle that has a duration of 11 years and it is observed that the sun has reached the peak of this cycle. Therefore, every 11 years or so the sunspots fade away and thus a situation of relative calmness takes place which is known as solar minimum. The vastness of the sun’s solar activity is declining day by day. Therefore, the time of solar activity decline is known as the Modern grand solar minimum. And according to some research by scientists, it is observed that this will last from the year 2020 to 2053. Solar minimum might affect the temperature of the earth.  In the following parts, it will be noticed that the modern grand solar minimum will lead to terrestrial cooling. However, solar minimum is a very important concept in science and technology subjects, questions often from this concept come in competitive exams like the UPSC examination. 

Solar Minimum Affecting the Temperature of the Globe 

As discussed in the previous part, the vastness of the sun’s solar activity is declining day by day. The period of decline of this solar activity is known as the modern grand solar minimum. The modern grand solar minimum will last from 2020 to 2053. This process of the modern grand solar minimum will have multiple impacts over the globe, one impact will be that this will affect the temperature on earth. The 70 % declination in the modern grand solar minimum, might affect the temperature on earth and therefore the temperature might fall down. 

The modern grand solar minimum will lead to terrestrial cooling. There are two phenomena behind terrestrial cooling : the maunder minimum and the decline in the magnetic field of the modern grand solar minimum. So basically, a significant decline in the solar magnetic field while having a modern grand solar minimum will surely lead to the increment in the extragalactic and galactic rays, which as a result will accompany the formation of high clouds in the terrestrial atmosphere and therefore the terrestrial atmosphere will become cooler due to modern grand solar minimum.  

The Effect of Solar Minimum on Earth 

In this part, the effect of solar minimum on earth will be studied briefly. Solar minimum is not very fruitful or a progressive process for the planet earth. It is slowly cooling down the temperature on the planet earth, which is definitely not good for the planet and the people living with it. There could be multiple reasons behind the solar minimum taking place but the biggest reason behind it would be global warming. Due to the solar minimum, the upper atmosphere of the earth’s surface is becoming cooler. However, this is the surface that is supposed to be hot due to the ultraviolet radiation of sun rays. This helps the earth to drag debris and save lower earth orbit from any kind of manmade junk. 

Conclusion 

The article has briefly talked about the phenomenon named modern grand solar minimum and how this phenomenon leads to terrestrial cooling. However, solar minimum is a very important concept in science and technology subjects, questions often from this concept come in competitive exams like the UPSC examinations. The solar minimum is nothing but the state of relative calmness when a sun’s solar cycle reaches its peak point after 11 years or so the sunspots on the sun fade away and as a result, a state of relative calmness takes place. Scientists say that in such a phase the sun goes through a long phase of decreased solar activity which is known as the modern grand solar minimum. And the solar activity of the sun could be determined by looking at the number of sunspots visible on the sun. The article has briefly dealt with solar minimum reasons which has affected the temperature on the globe.