A large coronal hole of unusual shape has formed on the Sun, according to the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The height of the coronal hole is about a million kilometers. The sun began to be covered with coronal holes as early as the first months of 2025, immediately after passing the peak of the solar cycle, which occurred in October-December 2024. This led to a sharp 60% increase in the number of magnetic storms in 2025.
The number of magnetic storms in 2026 will exceed the previous year’s values. In general, the increase in the number of magnetic storms may continue for at least another two years, approximately until 2028, after which the rapid degradation of all types of solar activity should begin with the transition to a solar minimum at the turn of 2029-2030. For the same reasons, the next 2 years will be favorable for observing northern lights.
