Scientists have revealed that the sun is currently in a phase of solar minimum, as new records suggest the absence of sunspots for more than 100 consecutive days. If the sun goes into lockdown, the temperature in the earth will be reduced dramatically, and it will cause freezing temperatures, increased seismic activities, and famine.
Experts believe that the current trend could repeat of the Dalton Minimum, which happened between 1790 and 1830. During this period, the sun's solar activity was almost absent, and as a result, the planet literally shivered, and it even caused famine and violent volcanic eruptions. It was during this period that Mount Tambora volcano erupted in Indonesia, and resulted in the death of more than 71,000 people. This phenomenon also led to the absence of the summer in 1816.
Will it Cause a Mini Ice Age on Earth?
Many space experts believe that the planet is apparently going through a similar period, and if the sun's solar activity fails to resume, it will plummet the global temperature.
"Solar Minimum is underway and it's a deep one. Sunspot counts suggest it is one of the deepest of the past century. The sun's magnetic field has become weak, allowing extra cosmic rays into the solar system. Excess cosmic rays pose a health hazard to astronauts and polar air travelers, affect the electro-chemistry of Earth's upper atmosphere, and may help trigger lightning," astronomer Tony Phillips told The Sun reports.
Is Solar Minimum Unusual?
NASA, the United States space agency reveals that solar maximum and solar minimum are quite natural, and it happens as a cycle. "Every 11 years or so, sunspots fade away, bringing a period of relative calm. This is called a solar minimum. And it's a regular part of the sunspot cycle," says NASA.
A Dire Warning from a Solar Scientist
A few months back, Valentina Zharkova, a professor of physics and electrical engineering at Northumbria University had predicted that the sun could hibernate in 2020, causing a grand solar minimum, where the global temperature will be dropped by one degree Celsius. Zharkova also claimed that this solar minimum could last for the next three decades, and if her prediction goes right, the earth will go through a mini ice age until the 2050s.
