All the spots on the sun have disappeared
Not a single spot, even the smallest one, is currently observed on the Earth-facing side of the Sun. The star is a perfect disk without any special features.
Spots are practically an integral part of the Sun's surface and are associated with the presence of its magnetic field — dark areas of the surface are formed in places with the highest concentration of magnetic flux. Since the energy for solar flares is drawn from magnetic fields, the number and area of the spots correlate with the level of solar activity.
The complete disappearance of spots occurs only in a state of extremely low activity, usually during the years of the solar minimum.
The last time the Sun could be seen without a single spot was on December 11, 2021, that is, more than four years ago.
Yesterday, the flash activity index reached zero for the first time since 2024 (
Лаборатория солнечной астрономии (XRAS) ).
How the Sun looked on the same day exactly one year ago, you can see for comparison here (
https://xras.ru/database/sun_images/2025/hmiigr/202502/20250222_205238_hmiigr.jpg ).
In history, there have been long (for several decades) periods of a sharp decrease in the number of sunspots. The most famous of these is the so—called
Maunder Minimum, which lasted from 1645 to 1715 and coincided with the coldest phase of the Little Ice Age, a prolonged era of abnormally cold and harsh winters in Europe and North America.
In the current situation on the Sun (just 1.5 years after passing the maximum of the cycle), the observed depression of activity cannot be prolonged and should end after a while.
Such a sharp drop in solar activity to the bottom, especially after an exceptionally stormy start to the year, was nevertheless unexpected.