News Astronomy

The sun is less magnetically active than similar stars, and we don’t know why

Why our star seems so different from its stellar kin is a mystery

The sun’s magnetic field drives loops of plasma to fly off its surface, as shown in this image from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Changes in a star’s magnetism can show up as changes in its brightness.

Solar Dynamics Observatory/GSFC/NASA

By Lisa Grossman

- More than 2 years ago

The sun might be a magnetic slacker.