During these phases, sunspots and solar eruptions are uncommon. At this time, the Sun’s magnetic field is mainly dipolar. Signs of magnetic activity at active latitudes become hard to see.

The Sun’s extremely hot outer layer, the corona, has a very different chemical composition from the cooler inner layers, but the reason for this has puzzled scientists for decades. One explanation is ...

Small-scale magnetic structures of the ‘quiet sun’ at high resolution. Credit: DKIST Astronomers are one step closer to understanding one of the most enduring solar mysteries, having captured ...

Diagram of the Sun’s interior and outer atmosphere, showing the core, radiative and convection zones — separated by the tachocline — and surface features such as sunspots, flares, the chromosphere and ...