Sunspots have completely disappeared on the surface of the Sun
On Sunday, February 22, 2024, scientists from the Solar Astronomy Laboratory at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences confirmed that sunspots have completely disappeared on the visible surface of the Sun. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
Currently, the surface of the Sun looks absolutely clean, like a freshly washed window. It is noted that the daily sunspot index has dropped to zero, and flare activity has completely stopped for the first time since 2024.
In other words, solar activity has temporarily decreased: no sunspots or flares are observed. However, experts emphasize that interpreting this situation as the beginning of a global minimum phase would be incorrect.
According to them, the Earth has now entered a short quiet period following the peak of the 25th 11-year solar cycle. Scientists explain that such calmness can also be observed during active periods of the Sun.
This situation is explained by the old sunspots moving to the edge of the solar disk and new sunspots not yet appearing. As a result, the Sun remains in a simplified state for a while.
Sergey Bogachyov, a representative of the laboratory, stressed that this is a temporary condition. According to him, solar activity may resume within a few days or weeks.
Experts believe that such short breaks can also be beneficial for the Earth. Geomagnetic storms decrease, the likelihood of disruptions in communication systems is reduced, and the risk to satellites and power grids is relatively low.
In short, the temporary quietness of the Sun creates favorable conditions for technical systems. For reference, sunspots and flares fluctuate with a certain periodicity.
These periodic changes are called the "solar cycle," and one complete cycle lasts approximately 11 years.
