Sun produces no sunspots for longer than normal

The Sun goes through 11-year activity cycles. Solar activity entails solar eruptions, solar flares and sunspots. The most intense activity occurs during the middle of the cycle, while the least intense activity occurs at the beginning and end of a cycle.

With the previous cycle currently ending and a new one beginning the Sun is going through a period of inactivity. While this is normal, this period has lasted longer than usual. The Sun has been relatively inactive for the last 2 years and scientists do not know why.

Interesting story.

I think they have a range of satellites on the cards to study the way the sun works. Should reveal some interesting stuff.

S.A. BOINC wrote:I think they have a range of satellites on the cards to study the way the sun works. Should reveal some interesting stuff.

True. How do you suppose they go about shielding satellites from solar radiation? Anybody know? I mean - and I'm just grasping at straws here but - lets say that a satellite has to study the sun, does it orbit the Earth where its protected by the planet's magnetic field, or is it shielded well enough to go out and orbit the sun itself?

I think they have satalites that orbit the sun itself. They must use special material to shield the radiation.

More on the sun...

It seems we're currently experiencing the most quiet solar minimum in a century. The last times there were so few sunspots were in 1901 and 1913!!! Of particular interest are the side-effects our planet and also the inner solar system will experience as there's also a reduction of the solar wind. This one's a long but great read...

Seems like scientists may have found the cause of the reduction in solar activity.

Also of particular interest is the mention of a new space craft to be launched later this year, the Solar Dynamics Observatory which will study, among others, solar activity and how this generates space weather.