by Associated Press
Published: Wed, September 24, 2008 - 1:01 am CST
WASHINGTON (AP) - Our sun has gotten weaker.But not to worry. Scientists say it's too small a difference to
change life on Earth. In fact, it means satellites can stay in
orbit a little longer.
New data from a NASA-European solar probe finds that the solar
wind is significantly weaker, cooler and less dense than it's been
in 50 years. The solar wind is a stream of charged particles
ejected from the sun's upper atmosphere.
Also, a NASA solar physicist says for the first time in about a
century, the sun went for two months this summer without any
sunspots. A cluster of eight sunspots did surface yesterday.
Sunspots are temporary regions of high magnetic activity.
A scientist at the Southwest Research Institute says a change in
the sun's magnetic flux appears to have caused the slight
weakening. Experts don't know why but say there have been similar
fluctuations in the past.
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