New Study Suggests Planetary Alignment May Influence Solar Cycles

Photo byPhoto by Andrey Grinkevich on Unsplash

The Sun's activity is characterized by a complex cycle, with variations driven by internal and potentially external factors. The Schwabe cycle, an 11-year solar activity cycle, is partially attributed to gravitational interactions with Venus, Earth, and Jupiter. This planetary hypothesis, though controversial, aligns closely with the timing of the Schwabe cycles.

Led by researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, they propose that these planets' alignments give a subtle "push" to the Sun's internal dynamo, helping maintain the regular cycle. The planets form a line roughly every 11.07 years, coinciding with the solar minimum and potentially influencing the solar magnetic field.

Additionally, the study explores Rossby waves, large vortical waves in the Sun's atmosphere, similar to those on Earth. The researchers suggest these waves could synchronize the Sun's dynamo, contributing to the Schwabe and shorter Rieger cycles, which are characterized by flare activity every 150-160 days.

Mathematical models created by the team replicated both the Schwabe and Rieger cycles, further supporting the planetary hypothesis. They also identified a possible link to the Suess-de Vries cycle, a 193-year fluctuation in the Sun's magnetic field, tied to the Sun's motion around the Solar System's centre of gravity.

While the Sun's immense complexity means planets are likely only a tiny part of the picture, the researchers argue that the alignments' consistency with solar cycles cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence. More data and research are needed to confirm these findings, as models are still approximations that can be inaccurate.