1989 Sunspot Peak
Every eleven years or so the sun shows an unusual amount of activity, which shows itself in an increased number of sunspots. Strangely, the peak that occurred this year, in mid-March, was the most active on record, with an enormous increase in sunspots over other peaks. There were an unusually large amount of spots visible.

This activity creates a vast number of charged particles, which are attracted towards the poles of the Earth. When they hit the atmosphere,they produce the colour pink in high altitudes, and blue lower down. This effect creates what is known as the Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere, and Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere. The Auroras were seen further away from the poles at this years peak, because of the large number of charged particles entering the atmosphere.

The latest Auroras were so bright that people were partying in the streets of Scandinavia! For an area that commonly sees the Aurora Borealis, there were reports saying that they'd never seen one like this before! In the United Kingdom the activity was bringing Borealis further South than usual, as it usually only reaches Northern Scotland, sometimes further, but not so bright. It lit up the skies at various places across the UK, even as far South as Cornwall, which was enhanced by unusual weather conditions at the time.

Sunspot activity is known to coincide with the emergence of new movements, particularly youth cultures. It seems that these peaks in sunspot activity give a renewed energy to humans that we channel into new directions and use creatively for a purpose. Presently, people are becoming more aware of the crisis facing the Earth and want to do something about it. More people than ever have shown an interest in this, since the mid-March peak. So, there is one effect of that peak. Similarly, we see other things happening that we would have thought impossible in the past.

(Originally published in Peace & Freedom, No. 6, Vol. 2, Summer 1989)