IKI RAN reported that all the spots in the Sun were missing
There is currently not a single spot on the Earth-facing side of the Sun. This was announced on February 22 in the Telegram channel of the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"Not a single spot, even the smallest one, is currently observed on the Earth-facing side of the Sun. The star is a perfect disk without any special features," the report says.
According to scientists, sunspots are associated with the concentration of the magnetic field. They are considered to be an almost permanent element of the solar surface.
The laboratory recalled that the number and area of spots are directly related to the level of solar activity, since it is the magnetic fields that are the source of energy for flares. The complete disappearance of spots is usually recorded during periods of extremely low activity — during the solar minimum.
The last time a similar situation was observed was on December 11, 2021. Thus, for more than four years there has been no complete absence of spots on the Sun.
The scientists also noted that there have been long periods of declining solar activity in history, including the Maunder Minimum from 1645 to 1715, which coincided with the coldest phase of the Little Ice Age.
At the same time, experts stressed that the current depression in activity is unlikely to be prolonged, since about a year and a half has passed since the maximum of the solar cycle. Despite this, such a sharp decrease in activity after a rough start to the year was unexpected for the researchers.
On February 22, the IKI RAS reported a decrease in solar activity to the lowest level in the last two years. It was noted that the index of solar activity on this day reached zero for the first time since April 2024.
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