Solar storms set to batter Earth as NASA warns the sun is waking up

NASA scientists warn that the sun has begun to ramp up activity after two decades of relative quiet, signaling a potential increase in solar storms that could affect power grids and global communications. The sun’s current 11-year cycle is approaching its maximum around 2025 to 2026, and researchers caution that stronger storms could become more common as the star wakes up.

Since 2008, the solar wind has grown stronger, with its speed up about 6 percent, density up 26 percent, temperature up 29 percent, and magnetic pressure rising about 45 percent, a study in the Astrophysical Journal Letters found. The shift suggests a more dynamic solar environment that could influence Earth’s protective magnetic bubble, the magnetosphere, and the broader heliosphere. In practical terms, a stronger solar wind can compress the magnetosphere, exposing Earth to higher levels of solar particles that can affect technology and astronauts alike.

The changes may intensify sunspots, solar flares and coronal mass ejections that disrupt satellites and communications. Geomagnetic storms can damage power grids, interfere with space-based assets, and degrade navigation systems such as GPS. In recent days, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service reported widespread issues during a strong geomagnetic storm, with tens of thousands of user reports as the storm struck Earth.

Lead study author Jamie Jasinski of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California noted that the finding was surprising: the sun appeared to be waking up even as models had suggested a prolonged quiet period. The researchers said the data point to a complex interplay of cycles rather than a simple return to low activity.

The study also suggests the ongoing uptick in solar activity could be part of a longer 22-year cycle, with the sun making up for a mysterious two-decade decline rather than entering a new extended quiet phase. Cycle 24, from 2008 through 2019, was unusually weak by historical standards, and cycle 25 shows noticeably more activity as it heads toward a peak in the mid-2020s. Historical records show one of the sun’s quiet spells occurred over about four decades from 1790 to 1830, a reminder that long-term solar trends remain difficult to forecast.

Beyond technological disruptions, stronger solar activity increases the exposure of astronauts to radiation and can affect the upper atmosphere, potentially influencing ozone chemistry and ultraviolet radiation reaching the surface. These effects underscore why space weather monitoring and preparedness remain a priority for space agencies, telecommunications providers and critical infrastructure operators.

Experts emphasize that timing and strength of solar storms are difficult to predict precisely. Scientists will continue to monitor solar wind conditions, sunspot numbers and solar eruptions as cycle 25 progresses toward its expected maximum. The evolving picture of the sun’s behavior continues to challenge assumptions that a prolonged quiet period would follow the recent lull, illustrating how the solar system’s home star can surprise researchers even after decades of data.