Solar Minimum Cycle and Solar Maximum Cycle Video

Here's the ultimate Solar Power. This is a side-by-side comparison of how our sun looked in 2009 and a recent photo taken March 27th/28th. The left-hand image is the sun in a relatively quiet period known as a Solar Minimum-when the sunspots are a minimum. Solar Maximum is when the number of sunspots reaches a maximum. The image on the right is showing more activity which is typical of a Solar Maximum Cycle which is what the sun is in now.

This video is from Wired using photos taken from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory:



The sun's maximum activity period is predicted to peak some time in 2013.

More at Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.