The sun shows its first spotless days in four years

For the first time since June 8, 2022, the Earth-facing side of the sun recorded consecutive spotless days, ending a 1,335-day streak, but new sunspots rotated into view a few days later and experts say Solar Cycle 25 is waning yet remains active.

The sun briefly displayed consecutive spotless days this week, a first since June 8, 2022, ending a 1,335-day streak of visible sunspots. The stretch of blank solar disk lasted at least from Feb. 22 through Feb. 24. On Feb. 25, a pair of sunspots rotated into view from the far side, restoring visible blemishes. This event is striking because it follows a recent solar maximum and a period of unusually active behavior during Solar Cycle 25. What we know: - On Feb. 22 the Earth-facing side of the sun showed zero visible sunspots for the first time since June 8, 2022, ending a 1,335-day run of sightings. - Spaceweather.com reported that Feb. 23 and Feb. 24 were also spotless days before sunspots reappeared on Feb. 25 as features rotated into view. - Solar Cycle 25 recently passed its peak, with activity higher than early forecasts and a peak monthly average of sunspots in August 2024. - Agencies and researchers describe the cycle as waning but still ongoing, and recent research notes the years after a peak can remain unsettled. - Historically, consecutive spotless days are more common near solar minimum, such as the more than 700 spotless days recorded between 2018 and 2020. Summary: The short run of spotless days suggests the solar cycle is moving toward quieter conditions, but returning sunspots and recent activity indicate the cycle is not finished and may still produce notable space weather. Undetermined at this time.