What is wrong with the Sun?  Nothing!

The sun is behaving normally. So says NASA solar physicist David Hathaway.

"There have been some reports lately that Solar Minimum is lasting longer than it should. That's not true. The ongoing lull in sunspot number is well within historic norms for the solar cycle".

This report, that there's nothing to report, is newsworthy because of a growing buzz in lay and academic circles that something is wrong with the sun.

Sun Goes Longer Than Normal Without Producing Sunspots declared one recent press release. A careful look at the data, however, suggests otherwise.

The sun is now near the low point of its 11-year activity cycle called Solar Minimum. It is the period of quiet that separates one Solar Max from another. Although minima are a normal aspect of the solar cycle, some observers are questioning the length of the ongoing minimum, now slogging through its 3rd year.

It does seem like it's taking a long time. Read the full story on www.sarl.org.za.