Sunspots continue to disappear from the surface of the Sun

Spots continue to disappear from the surface of the Sun. Their appearance in the coming years will be a random process, making it impossible to forecast the star's activity, Sergey Bogachev, head of the Solar Astronomy Laboratory at the Space Research Institute (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told RIA Novosti.

"Solar activity is currently fragmenting due to the overall decline of the cycle. In fact, there is no longer continuous activity," the scientist said.

According to him, this situation is generally characteristic of the Sun. At the peak of the cycle, there is always a continuous background present on the star, while in the intervals between bursts, which are being observed now, activity will "drop to zero."

Last Sunday, February 22, all spots disappeared from the surface of the Sun for the first time since 2021. The complete absence of spots, as scientists explained, is typical for phases with minimal solar activity.

The solar cycle lasts about 11 years. Currently, the 25th cycle observed by humanity is underway. It reached its peak in 2024 and has gradually transitioned to a decline.