People are so used to phrases like "the Sun has entered its most active phase for the last 11 years", or "solar activity peaked at the beginning of our century," that stopped paying attention to them. But if anyone draws, then reacts pissed off, "Yes, how did you know?" Moreover, amid the hysteria on the coming end of the world, many of these messages about another flurry of activity on the Sun are perceived as yet another horror story that supports the theory of the close end of the world.

Actually, in this case, scientists should pay tribute to the Sun actually has entered its most active phase for the last 11 years, what mankind can be judged by elementary photographic images of our luminary. Every time on our star erupts another potentially dangerous flare or a giant release of solar energy, we have to remember that the solar cycle approaches "solar max" in 2013 year, so solar activity is really on the rise.

The solar maximum in pictures

But what exactly does it mean solar activity on the rise? For clarity, we propose you to look at the two pictures that allow you to compare how the Sun was just two years ago, and what it is now. These visual changes and give us an idea about the solar maximum and minimum. We are currently experiencing the next solar maximum in the framework of the 11-year cycle. He is determined by the number of bright flashes on the surface of the disc. Recent minimum occurred in the year 2008. Be that as it may, the threshold solar maximum projected expected in may next year..