A new solar cycle

It is worth noting that scientists are now declaring that a new 11-year solar cycle has officially begun. And this solar cycle is expected to be one of the highest maximums ever recorded, if trends are to be believed. This means that electromagnetic and radiation disturbances are likely to affect not only communications on and around Earth (including orbital) but also geo-physical variations, as well as human moods and events. The peak of this cycle (being in around 5 years time) is - yes, you guessed it! - end of 2012...

See NewScientist's article ''Maverick' sunspot heralds new solar cycle':

A new 11-year solar cycle has officially begun, now that a sunspot has been found with a magnetic field pointing in the opposite direction from those in the previous cycle. But researchers are still divided over how active – and potentially damaging to Earth's satellites and power grids – the new cycle will be.

Sunspots are relatively cool regions where magnetic fields from within the Sun have risen up and broken through its surface. They vary in number – going from a minimum to a maximum and back to a minimum again – about every 11 years, the same timescale on which the Sun's magnetic poles reverse direction.

The Sun is also the solar repository for galactic records - good ole Sol!
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