A spotless sun as viewed on Feb. 22, 2026 by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). (Image credit: Courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams) The sun's visible disk has been perfectly free from sunspots for the first time since June 2022, suggesting the current solar cycle might be heading toward its quieter phase. Sunspots are cooler areas on the sun's surface that appear darker compared to their surroundings. These solar blemishes are caused by intense magnetic fields that prevent heat from the star's interior from rising to the surface. When the tangled magnetic field lines around these spots burst, the sun emits solar flares and c oronal mass ejections of dense plasma that can cause geomagnetic storms on Earth. The sun follows an approximately 11-year cycle during which its activity ebbs and flows. During the solar maximum , sunspots are a constant presence and flares and coronal mass ejections occur almost daily.…