Welcome

Sun and Earth form a coupled system. The Sun emits particles (solar wind), which carry frozen-in magnetic fields, and electromagnetic radiation (light). The solar wind interacts with the magnetosphere inducing magnetic storms and causing beautiful aurorae but also problems for communication systems and satellites.  The electromagnetic radiation is the source of almost all the energy available on Earth and drives the climate system.
The Sun is a variable star that varies on time scales from minutes to millennia. The basic goals of our projects are to understand what causes the Sun’s variability and to what extent this variability is responsible for past, present and future climate change.

Picture 1: The Sun emits solar wind with frozen-in magnetic fields which interact at high latitudes in the upper atmosphere generating strong electrical currents and aurorae.

Picture 2: During the Maunder Minimum (1645-1715), a period when the Sun’s activity was exceptionally low, Europe experienced cold weather. The picture shows the frozen Laguna of Venice in the year 1709.