The Sun unexpectedly took a six-day pause in flare activity, and then manifested itself again. On September 19, a weak C3.3 class eruption occurred on the star, ending the longest period without flares since 2021, reported the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of IKI RAN and ISZF SO RAN.
The lull lasted from September 13 to 18 inclusive. Experts note that such a break is unusual also because the current solar cycle is still in a fairly active phase.
The previous deep minimum occurred in 2019–2020. After that, the Sun's activity began to recover, and the peak of the current cycle passed approximately two years ago.
The resumption of activity does not yet look sharp. After the C3.3 flare, experts assess the level of flare activity as moderate.
At the same time, current processes do not pose a threat to Earth. Class C refers to weak solar flares and is significantly inferior to more powerful events of classes M and X.