Getting your player ready...
WASHINGTON — It’s time for the sun to move into a busier period for sunspots, and forecasters expect a relatively mild outbreak by historical standards.
A panel said Friday that it expects the upcoming solar cycle to be the weakest since 1928.
The prediction calls for the solar cycle to peak in May 2013 with 90 sunspots per day, averaged over a month. If the prediction proves correct, it will be the weakest cycle since a peak of 78 daily sunspots 81 years ago.
The panel described solar storms as eruptions of energy and matter that escape from the sun. They will probably cause disruptions to electrical service, airline flights, GPS signals, TV, radio and cellphones.
