evidence: Approximately every 11 years, the sun goes from a low point in solar activity, known as solar minimum, to solar maximum and back again. It's not clear exactly why the sun's cycles last this long, but astronomers have noted the pattern ever since the first, aptly named Solar Cycle 1, which occurred between 1755 and 1766. The current cycle, Solar Cycle 25, officially began in December 2019, according to NASA. [...] But from the beginning, the forecast seemed off. For instance, the number of observed sunspots has been much higher than predicted. [...] During solar minimum, a localized magnetic field, which is left behind from the sun's magnetic-field flip, surrounds the sun's equator. This localized field prevents the sun's main magnetic field from growing stronger and getting tangled up, meaning the localized field essentially acts like a handbrake preventing solar activity from increasing.