The sun has been eerily quiet for 264 days in a row – just 96 hours away from setting a new record

The sun has been eerily quiet for 264 days in a row – just 96 hours short of setting a new record with no surface activity since March 24

  • March 24 was the last time a sunspot was seen on the surface of the moon  
  • The modern record is from 2008 when a blemish was not seen for 268 days  
  • Solar minimums mean reduced activity on the sun as its magnetic field weakens

The sun is unusually quiet and docile, with no sunspots seen on its surface in 264 days — just four days short of setting a new record. 

In 2008, no sunspots were observed for a total of 268 days and if the current period exceeds this it will become one of the deepest lulls of the modern era. 

The sun typically follows an 11 year cycle of activity, and scientists have recently confirmed we are in the midst of a ‘solar minimum’.

Solar minimums mark a period of reduced activity on the sun and sunspots and solar flares are less frequent. 

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An eerily still surface of the sun has been captured by NASA. Showing a solid orange globe, the image it produced is the result of a lack of sunspot activity in the star’s magnetic field. During this point, the Sun’s otherwise violent surface takes on a calmer and almost idyllic appearance.

At solar minimum, the sun’s otherwise violent surface takes on a calmer and almost idyllic appearance but this faux calm can lead to magnetic storms which interfere with satellites, affect air travel and can even knock out power grids. 

At the cycle’s peak, solar maximum, the sun is continually peppered with spots, some as big as the planet Jupiter.   

As the sun reached solar minimum, it increases the likelihood that activity levels will soon rebound with vigour. 

A panel of experts from NASA and NOAA recently concluded that the current solar cycle is nearing its end, and the next one will begin when this streak ends. 

If the solar minimum prediction is correct, it would make the current Solar Cycle 24, the seventh longest on record at 11.4 years. 

Solar Cycle 25, the next period, is expected to peak in July 2025. 

At the cycle's peak, solar maximum, the sun is continually peppered with spots, pictured, some as big as the planet Jupiter. But at its minimum, months can go by without a single sunspot and its magnetic field weakens meaning that more energy is being thrown towards the Earth

At the cycle’s peak, solar maximum, the sun is continually peppered with spots, pictured, some as big as the planet Jupiter. But at its minimum, months can go by without a single sunspot and its magnetic field weakens meaning that more energy is being thrown towards the Earth

WHAT IS THE SOLAR CYCLE?

The sun is a huge ball of electrically-charged hot gas that moves, generating a powerful magnetic field.

This magnetic field goes through a cycle, called the solar cycle.

Every 11 years or so, the sun’s magnetic field completely flips, meaning the sun’s north and south poles switch places. 

The solar cycle affects activity on the surface of the sun, such as sunspots which are caused by the sun’s magnetic fields. 

Every 11 years the sun's magnetic field flips, meaning the sun's north and south poles switch places. The solar cycle affects activity on the surface of the sun, increasing the number of sunspots during stronger (2001) phases than weaker (1996/2006) ones

Every 11 years the sun’s magnetic field flips, meaning the sun’s north and south poles switch places. The solar cycle affects activity on the surface of the sun, increasing the number of sunspots during stronger (2001) phases than weaker (1996/2006) ones

One way to track the solar cycle is by counting the number of sunspots.

The beginning of a solar cycle is a solar minimum, or when the sun has the least sunspots. Over time, solar activity – and the number of sunspots – increases.

The middle of the solar cycle is the solar maximum, or when the sun has the most sunspots.

As the cycle ends, it fades back to the solar minimum and then a new cycle begins.

Giant eruptions on the sun, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, also increase during the solar cycle.

These eruptions send powerful bursts of energy and material into space that can have effects on Earth.

For example, eruptions can cause lights in the sky, called aurora, or impact radio communications and electricity grids on Earth. 

‘Solar Cycle 25 may have a slow start, but is anticipated to peak with solar maximum occurring between 2023 and 2026, and a sunspot range of 95 to 130,’ the experts said.

‘This is well below the average number of sunspots.

They also state that solar cycle 24 has continued a trend of steadily declining activity in the sun, but predict this will change with cycle 25. 

Solar minimum is a useful time for studying the evolution of active regions without the complication of overlapping and interacting regions. 

Active regions can persist for days to months, and are observed to rotate across the Sun’s face many times.

Lack of sunspot activity in the sun is due to a continuing period of inactivity in the star’s magnetic field. 

As the sun moves through its 11-year cycle, it experiences active and quiet periods known as the solar maximum and solar minimum.  

This solar slowdown often causes temporary cooling in Earth’s atmosphere. 

When the sun entered a solar minimum between 1650 and 1710, NASA said the Earth was plunged into a ‘deep freeze’.

‘1650 to 1710, temperatures across much of the Northern Hemisphere plunged when the sun entered a quiet phase now called the Maunder Minimum.

‘During this period, very few sunspots appeared on the surface of the sun, and the overall brightness of the sun decreased slightly.

‘Already in the midst of a colder-than-average period called the Little Ice Age, Europe and North America went into a deep freeze: alpine glaciers extended over valley farmland; sea ice crept south from the Arctic; and the famous canals in the Netherlands froze regularly—an event that is rare today. 

WHY DO FEWER SUNSPOTS CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS ON EARTH?

Lack of sunspot activity in the sun is due to a continuing period of inactivity in the star’s magnetic field. 

As the sun moves through its 11-year cycle, it experiences active and quiet periods known as the solar maximum and solar minimum. 

As solar minimum approaches, certain types of activity – such as sunspots and solar flares – will drop, but it’s also expected to increase long-lived phenomena.

This includes coronal holes, where fast moving solar winds are created when the star’s magnetic field opens up into space. This happens more regularly as the sun’s magnetic field becomes less active. 

Strong solar winds emanating from three massive 'holes' on the surface of the sun have begun to bombard Earth, scientists say. Fast moving solar winds are created where the star¿s magnetic field opens up into space, captured as vast black regions in this satellite imagery

Strong solar winds emanating from three massive ‘holes’ on the surface of the sun have begun to bombard Earth, scientists say. Fast moving solar winds are created where the star’s magnetic field opens up into space, pictured here as vast black regions

Charged particles make their way out into the solar system through these gaps and hit the atmosphere of our planet.

This can lead to a number of complications, including magnetic storms which can result in power grid fluctuations, impact on satellite operations and can affect migratory animals.

An increase in solar winds can also alter the chemistry of Earth’s upper atmosphere, which may trigger more lightning and aid in cloud formation.

It can also affect air travel, as more radiation is able to penetrate planes. This means passengers on long-haul flights may receive doses of radiation similar to dental X-rays during a single trip, and puts flight crews in additional danger.

The effects of solar minimum may also include Earth’s upper atmosphere cooling and shrinking slightly, thanks to less heat reaching the planet. This can allow space junk to accumulate in low Earth orbit.