Hale Cycle

The Hale Cycle, also known as the Solar Magnetic Cycle, describes the roughly 22-year pattern of the Sun’s magnetic activity. During this cycle, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip, and the number of sunspots and solar activity increase and decrease in an 11-year sunspot cycle, with two cycles making a full magnetic reversal. This cycle influences space weather, impacting satellite operations and communications. Essentially, it tracks the Sun’s magnetic “heartbeat,” showing periods of high and low activity that repeat over two decades, influencing conditions on and around Earth.