The Sun's sunspot activity is currently in Cycle 24, which began in 2008. According to scientists, during the current cycle, the Sun has had the smallest number of sunspots since Cycle 14, which reached its maximum in February 1906.
Earlier, on June 4, scientists reported that the Sun was observed to be completely spotless, with activity remaining very low for about four days in a row. A previous period of low activity occurred in February when, according to NASA scientists, the Sun looked as blank as a “cue ball.”
NASA scientists pointed out that the recent observations could mean that the solar activity is plunging toward the next solar minimum faster than expected. This has caused some experts to warn that the trend could trigger a new “mini ice-age” earlier than expected.
Scientists know that prolonged sunspot minimum characterized by rare occurrences of sunspots caused the period of relatively cold weather with bitter winters that occurred in Europe from 1645 to 1715. Europe’s “mini ice-age,” known as the Maunder Minimum, lasted 75 years and is the longest solar minimum on record.
In another direct contradiction to climate change, NASA has published a study showing that the volume of ice in Antarctica is increasing. Satellites were used to measure the heights of the ice, and although the cause is unknown, Antarctica is gaining more ice than it is losing. The paper titled “Mass Gains of the Antarctic ice sheet exceed losses.” has been criticized by some of NASA’s scientists, but a concrete cause for the increased ice has still not been established.
