Something Bizarre Is Happening at the Sun's South Pole
Jul 16, 2026
Why was the Sun’s recent solar maximum twice as strong as predicted? In 2024-2025, the Sun entered a fiery active phase that completely defied expectations. But thanks to NASA's Parker Solar Probe, we now have observations taken from inside the Sun's atmosphere, which could help explain what’s powering the unusual eruptions. What’s really going on inside our star? And should we be worried here on Earth?
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0:00 What’s Happening to the Sun?
1:59 Solar Cycle 25
4:34 Where Is the Tachocline?
6:06 Parker Solar Probe
9:13 Solar Switchbacks
12:38 The Sun’s South Pole
16:51 May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm
20:48 Plasma Storms
22:37 Risk to Earth
25:33 Future Solar Missions
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References:
“Predicting Solar Cycles”, via arxiv.org https://astrumspace.info/solarcycles
“The Sun Reversed Its Decades-Long Weakening Trend”, via iop.org https://astrumspace.info/sunreversed
“Calibrating HMI Magnetograms”, viaiop.org https://astrumspace.info/hmimag
“The Solar Dynamo Begins Near the Surface”, via nature.com https://astrumspace.info/solardynamo
“Parker Solar Probe’s Closest Pass to Sun”, via.nasa.gov https://astrumspace.info/parkerclosest
“Eugene Parker and the Parker Solar Probe”, via quantamagazine.org https://astrumspace.info/parker
“In-Situ Observations of Alfvén Waves Heating the Solar Wind”, via science.org https://astrumspace.info/solarwind
“Solar Orbiter Gets First Views of the Sun’s Poles”, via esa.int https://astrumspace.info/solarpole
“The May 2024 Geomagnetic Storm”, via royalsocietypublishing.org https://astrumspace.info/may24storm
“Electron density during the May 2024 geomagnetic storm ”, via springer.com https://astrumspace.info/ionstorm
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Credits:
Writer: Julia Masselos
Video Editor: Alan Parry
Audio Editor: James Horsley
Researcher: Shourya Shrivastava
Script Editor: Damaris McColgan
Thumbnail Designers: Peter Sheppard, Juane Dames
Publishing Lead: Georgina Brenner
Production Coordinator: Rose Unwin
Edit Producer: Poppy Pinnock
Head of Astrum: Jess Jordan
Creator of Astrum: Alex McColgan
With special thanks to:
NASA/ESO/ESA
#Astrum #Space #SolarMaximum
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