Mystery Of The Missing Sunspots Solved?
Friday, June 19, 2009 - 09:14
in Astronomy & Space
The sun is in the pits of a century-class solar minimum, and sunspots have been puzzlingly scarce for more than two years. Now, for the first time, solar physicists might understand why. Researchers have discovered that a jet stream deep inside the sun is migrating slower than usual through the star's interior, giving rise to the current lack of sunspots.