Sun

Scientists warn of unusually cold Sun: Will we face another ice age?

A study by the University of California San Diego has said the Sun will experience a cold period where all solar activities will be reduced drastically.

By : Bihu Ray

February 8, 2018 14:46 IST

Picture for representation Reuters

Remember the 1989 science fiction novel The Dying Sun by Gary Blackwood, where people were forced to migrate from the US to Mexico because of the freezing weather triggered by cooling down of the Sun? Scientists are now afraid that such a situation can become a reality in the near future. The question that now arises is, are we at all prepared for another ice age?

A study by the University of California San Diego has claimed that by 2050, the Sun is expected to become cool. You might think "what's the big deal," but remember that this means the solar activities that create the heat of the Sun to sustain life on Earth may diminish. And the last time it happened was in the 17th Century, when the Thames River froze. Scientists call this the "Maunder Minimum".