Astrophysicists say the sun is getting weaker due to a lull in solar activity.
Astrophysicists say the sun is getting weaker due to a lull in solar activity. The sun is as dim as it has been in a hundred years with a period of limited solar storms. The last time the sun took a break from activity it caused a cooling period on earth known as the Little Ice Age. This time period from 1300 to 1850 was marked by colder temperatures across the planet and an increase in ice in the coldest regions (Anne Minard, "Sun Oddly Quiet—Hints at Next 'Little Ice Age'?" NationalGeographic.com, May 4, 2009).
Scientists aren't definite on the long-term effects of this dip in solar activity—called a "solar minimum"—and they don't know how long it will last ("Quiet Sun May Trigger Global Cooling," FoxNews.com, May 5, 2009).
