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

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 ...

The massive sunspot that sparked an "extreme" geomagnetic storm in May 2024 unleashed hundreds of other dangerous solar ...

2025 was another busy year on the sun. But how did it compare with 2024, and what will 2026 bring for solar activity and the northern lights? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn ...

A high-powered solar flare erupted from the sun last week, causing a major radio blackout in Europe and Asia. The eruption happened at 3:25 a.m., meaning that the sun wasn't in the Texas sky at the ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory has captured the moon ...

Scientists charged with predicting the sun's activity for the next 11-year solar cycle say that it's likely to be weak, much like the current one. The current solar cycle, Cycle 24, is declining and ...

The sun is powered by the nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium, deep within its core. Above the sun's surface, however, a different force dominates: electromagnetism. This force is responsible for ...