Saturday, September 13, 2025

Does the Sun Go Dormant this Century ( sometime between 2001 and 2099?)

When I researched this before the thinking was that this would happen and potentially create a "Little Ice Age". However, this isn't presently the thinking of Scientists around the world (at least at this point).

However, this century weather wise is already so strange worldwide it is possible that almost anything can and will happen. 

 begin quotes:

No, the Sun will not go dormant this century
. While the Sun has regular 11-year cycles of activity that include a period of minimum activity, it will not stop producing energy. 
What you might be thinking of is a "grand solar minimum," an extended period of very low solar activity that can last for decades. Some models suggested that a grand solar minimum could occur in the 2030s or 2040s, but this is no longer the mainstream scientific consensus. 
  • The 11-year cycle: The Sun goes through a regular 11-year cycle, alternating between a "solar maximum" of high activity and a "solar minimum" of low activity.
  • The current cycle: We are currently in Solar Cycle 25, which began in December 2019. Initially, Cycle 25 was predicted to be relatively weak, but it has become much stronger than expected.
  • Peak activity: Solar maximum for Cycle 25 was recently announced by NASA and NOAA as having occurred in October 2024, slightly earlier than predicted.
  • Next minimum: The Sun will now enter the declining phase of its cycle, with the next solar minimum expected around 2030 or 2031, followed by a new cycle. 

The myth of a dormant sun and mini ice age
  • Grand solar minimums: Extended periods of very low solar activity, like the Maunder Minimum (1645–1715), have occurred in the past and coincided with colder temperatures on Earth.
  • No new minimum predicted: A panel of international scientists, including those from NASA and NOAA, have stated that there is no indication we are approaching a Maunder-type minimum this century. The trend of weakening solar cycles seen over the last few decades has ended.
  • Climate change factor: The amount of warming from human-caused greenhouse gas emissions is six times greater than the potential cooling effect of a prolonged grand solar minimum. Therefore, any drop in solar activity is not enough to stop or reverse global warming. 

  • Solar Cycle 25 has arrived. Here's what to expect from the Sun ...
    Sep 23, 2020 — The sun goes through a regular 11-year cycle, swinging between periods of dormancy and periods of activity. Scientists from NASA and NOAA have just announced th...
    Universe Today
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  • Q&A: As the Sun nears its 11-year solar maximum, what can ...
    May 10, 2024 — Every 11 years the Sun's magnetic pole flips. Leading up to this event, there is a period of increased solar activity — from sunspots and solar flares to specta...
  • What Will Solar Cycle 25 Look Like? - NASA
    Sep 17, 2020 — “There is no indication that we are currently approaching a Maunder-type minimum in solar activity,” Upton said. But even if the Sun dropped into a grand minimu...
    NASA (.gov)
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