Scientists have recorded the minimum level of solar activity over the past 3.5 years

The level of solar activity has decreased to its lowest levels in the last 3.5 years. This was announced on March 11 at the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of the IKI RAS.

"The average monthly number of sunspots, which has been consistently measured since 1749 and is the main indicator of the level of solar activity, decreased in the first two months of 2026 to 78.2," the Telegram channel said.

According to scientists, this is the lowest figure since August 2022, when the value of 74.6 was recorded. In all subsequent months, higher indices were recorded, and at the peak of the cycle, in August 2024, the value of 216 was reached, which became the highest in the last 20 years.

It is noted that the global solar activity is falling significantly faster than predicted. The predicted value for February was 114.8. At the same time, the average monthly number of spots should have steadily dropped below 80 no earlier than the middle of 2027.

For this reason, the February decline is still considered as a random fluctuation. A similar situation was observed in May 2025, when the cycle plummeted to the level of 78.5, but then returned to the average forecast trajectory.

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The day before, the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy at the IKI RAS reported that a new coronal hole had formed on the Sun in recent years. According to scientists, over the past day, the geomagnetic situation remained calm, and the flare activity was moderately increased.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.