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

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

The sun is powered by the nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium, deep within its core. Above the sun's surface, however, a different force dominates: electromagnetism. This force is responsible for ...

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 ...