Episode
The Heartbeat of the Sun: Understanding the 11-Year Cycle
- Podcast
- Bedtime Astronomy
- Published
- Jun 20, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2214
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Summary
The Sun follows a powerful 11-year magnetic cycle driven by turbulent flows of superheated plasma deep inside the star. As magnetic fields twist and collide, the Sun enters periods of chaos known as solar maximum, unleashing massive solar flares, sunspots, and coronal mass ejections that can disrupt satellites, communications, and power systems on Earth. Eventually, the star’s magnetic poles flip, restarting the cycle all over again. Understanding this cosmic rhythm is essential not only for predicting space weather, but also for studying the habitability of planets orbiting distant stars Thank you for listening to Bedtime Astronomy — your guide to the cosmos. New episodes on space exploration, NASA missions & the latest astronomy breakthroughs. This episode includes AI-generated content.