solar cycle

noun

Astronomy.

1. the variation of sunspots, prominences, flares, and other solar activity through an 11-year cycle.

Example Sentences

The magnetic fields at the poles are vital to the Sun's global dynamo process and may act as "seed fields" that shape the next solar cycle, defining the overall solar magnetic structure.

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By improving knowledge of the solar dynamo, the mission could lead to more accurate predictions of the solar cycle and, in turn, more reliable space weather forecasts.

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The Sun is currently at a "maximum" in its 11-year solar cycle.

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Increased UK sightings have been helped by the Sun reaching a "maximum" in its 11-year solar cycle.

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Originally the Sun's activity was expected to peak in the latter half of 2025 but scientists from NASA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency and the Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun reached its maximum in October 2024.

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