The relaxation before the solar storm? NASA cautions 'something surprising is occurring to the Sun'

Sunspot figures are well below their principles from 2011, and powerful solar flames have been irregular,' the area organization says.

The picture above reveals the Earth-facing surface of the Sun on Feb 28, 2013, as noticed by the Helioseismic and Attractive Imager (HMI) on NASA's Solar Characteristics Observatory.

It noticed just a few little sunspots on an otherwise fresh experience, which is usually full of many areas during optimum solar action.

Experts have been confused by the obvious deficiency of action - with many thinking if NASA basically got it incorrect.

However, Solar physicist Dean Pesnell of NASA’s Goddard Space Journey Middle considers he has a different description.

'This is solar highest possible,' he says.

'But it looks different from what we predicted because it is double-peaked.'

'The last two solar maxima, around 1989 and 2001, had not one but two mountains.'

Solar action went up, dropped, then increased again, doing a mini-cycle that survived about two decades, he said.