The reduction of active centers on the Sun's surface creates conditions under which coronal holes (areas in the solar corona with reduced plasma density and temperature) can have a stronger impact on Earth. This was stated by Sergey Bogachev, head of the solar astronomy laboratory at the Space Research Institute (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Coronal holes have begun to create longer storms, the expert noted.
This is due to the fact that as the number of active regions on the Sun decreases, coronal holes are able to expand into interplanetary space more than usual, as they are less restricted by strong fields from groups of spots.
According to him, even small holes create wide sectors with disturbed solar wind (a stream of plasma that, when colliding with the Earth's magnetosphere, causes magnetic storms). When our planet enters them, geomagnetic disturbances can last more than 24 hours, Bogachev added.
At the same time, storms caused by coronal holes are significantly weaker than flare storms (a flare is an explosive process in the Sun's atmosphere with the release of energy). Over time, the number of flares will decrease, the academician noted.
In 2024, the Sun passed the peak of the 25th observed cycle, which lasts 11 years. Now the star is "calming down", he explained. Astrophysicists came to this conclusion after recording the disappearance of all spots on the Sun in February 2026. This phenomenon lasted 4 days and may happen again, Bogachev concluded.