One way to track the solar cycle is by counting the number of sunspots, which are dark, cooler patches on the Sun’s surface.

We know that the sun has entered its peak phase of activity, called solar maximum. But are we still in it, or is solar maximum already behind us? Let's see what the data has to say. However, the ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. These processes follow the solar cycle, an 11-year cycle of increasing and decreasing activity on ...

The sun’s outer atmosphere resembles a pufferfish.

For a long stretch of time, scientists were under the impression that our star was slowly entering hibernation. Known as the "deep solar minimum," this period started in the 1980s and ended in 2008.

But this solar minimum won't spark another ice age, they say. And that's likely due to climate change. "The warming caused by the greenhouse gas emissions from the human burning of fossil fuels is six ...

New research suggests that the unexpected intensity of the ongoing solar maximum may be partly tied to a lesser-known, 100-year solar cycle. If true, solar activity could spike further in the coming ...

Back in 2019, a consortium of scientists predicted August 2025 as the peak of the solar activity cycle. But where are we now? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate ...