One way to track the solar cycle is by counting the number of sunspots, which are dark, cooler patches on the Sun’s surface.

The sun’s outer atmosphere resembles a pufferfish.

Studying the sun In August 2018, NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe to draw closer to the sun than any satellite before. It's a unique opportunity to study " the star in our backyard," as NASA ...

Astronomers have produced the first continuous, two-dimensional maps of the outer edge of the sun's atmosphere, a shifting, frothy boundary that marks where solar winds escape the sun's magnetic grasp ...

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. These processes follow the solar cycle, an 11-year cycle of increasing and decreasing activity on ...

Auroras aren't over: the sun's decline brings more storms, and a 'last gasp' finale could light up skies in the next 2 years. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate ...

The intensity of the Sun’s activity ebbs and flows across years, but also across decades—a behavior that scientists haven’t quite figured out yet. At the turn of the 21 st century, astrophysicists ...