From Science Magazine (h/t to reader “Njorway”)
Scientists studying sunspots for the past 2 decades have concluded that the magnetic field that triggers their formation has been steadily declining. If the current trend continues, by 2016 the sun’s face may become spotless and remain that way for decades—a phenomenon that in the 17th century coincided with a prolonged period of cooling on Earth.
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/09/say-goodbye-to-sunspots.html
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