Sun Approaching Solar Maximum, Cycle 23, EIT
A comparison of three EIT images almost three years apart illustrates how the level of solar activity has increased significantly. The Sun attains its expected sunspot maximum of its 11 years solar cycle in the year 2000. These images are captured using Fe XII 195 ÌÉ emissions showing the solar corona at a temperature of about 1 million K. Many more sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections occur during the solar maximum. The progression towards more active regions and the number/size of magnetic loops is unmistakable. Solar cycle 23 was the 23rd solar cycle since 1755, when recording of solar sunspot activity began. The solar cycle lasted years, beginning in May 1996 and ending in January 2008.
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Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
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