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 ...

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 ...

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.

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 ...

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 ...