The Sun Expected to Get Dimmer and Cooler, According to New Study (Study)

It seems that the Sun is going to get dimmer and cooler by 2050. At least this is what scientists are saying after analyzing two decades worth of data and observations.

A paper with the study results was recently published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters. The University of California team to reach this conclusion also stated that the Sun will not only get about 7% dimmer by mid-century, but that the world might actually be about to face a mini ice age.

Experts have apparently found a way to successfully track the 11-year cycle of the Sun. It’s interesting to note that, during it, the sun goes through periods of both quiet and activity.

The science world calls these solar minimums and solar maximums. According to the team behind this latest research, they might have figured out when the next solar minimum will occur.

It’s worth noting that during a solar minimum period, the magnetism of the Sun actually decreases. Also, fewer ultraviolet rays reach Earth.

There are also fewer sunspots during such periods. The surface of the Sun is much clearer and dimmer during solar minimums.

Sun to Get Dimmer and Cooler, So What?

The recently-published study claims that during the next cold period, humanity might get a taste of life in the 17th Century. Namely, we might experience the same temperatures and climatic events felt by people living in Europe so many centuries ago.

According to researchers, this period came to be known as the “Maunder Minimum.” Most also know it as having been a mini ice age.

For those unfamiliar with the period and its consequences, one of them is that the famed Thames River froze. Moreover, the Baltic Sea also froze to the point where the Swedish army marched across on foot and invaded Denmark in 1658.

Now, Dan Lubin, the leader of this new study, thinks that the world might be facing a new mini ice age. One that would place humanity in an even worse situation somewhere around 2050.

Image Source: JPL/NASA