(May 29, 2026)

Here‘s where it gets strange. Traditional measurements of solar activity such as sunspot counts and magnetic field strengths at the surface suggest that cycle 25 is relatively modest. But the helioseismic data tells a different story. Look at the high-frequency oscillations, which probe the shallowest layers, and cycle 25 appears just as powerful as its predecessors. The Sun looks different depending on where you look. The surface is playing it down but the interior is not.

What does this mean? The honest answer is that nobody is entirely sure yet.