"Peter" wrote
. au...
Interesting article at science@nasa regarding speculation of future
sunspots activity or should I say the lack of activity.

Whatever happens, notes Hathaway, "the sun is behaving in an interesting
way and I believe we're about to learn something new."

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2...p_sunspots.htm

It is not new: "If sunspots do go away, it wouldn't be the first time. In
the 17th century, the sun plunged into a 70-year period of spotlessness
known as the Maunder Minimum that still baffles scientists. The sunspot
drought began in 1645 and lasted until 1715; during that time, some of the
best astronomers in history (e.g., Cassini) monitored the sun and failed to
count more than a few dozen sunspots per year, compared to the usual
thousands."
S*