Sun has entered into deepest period of Sunshine Recession

The sun has reached into a state of ‘solar minimum’. It has been more than 100 days since sun has shown zero sunspots. The sun is to enter into the deepest period of ‘sunshine recession’.

Highlights

• The cycle of the sun lasts for 11 years. 
• This is called Solar Cycle. 
• Solar minimum does not mean that sun becomes dull or its activity reduces. 
• It simply means that the sun is changing forms. 
• The sun spots fade away every 11 years.

Solar Cycle

• The Solar Cycle is also called the Solar Magnetic Activity Cycle. 
• It exists for 11 years and is measured in terms of number of sun spots on the surface. 
• Sunspots were observed in the early 17^th century. 
• It was first observed by Galileo Galilei.
• Under Solar Cycle, the solar maximum and solar minimum refers to the periods of maximum and minimum sunspots respectively.

Magnetic polarity

• The sun spots are magnetic in nature. 
• The magnetic polarity of sun spots are constant throughout the cycle. 
• It is opposite across the equator throughout a cycle. 
• Also, the magnetic polarity reversed itself from one cycle to the other.