This cycle is characterized by the rise and fall of solar activity, which includes:
* Sunspots: Darker, cooler areas on the Sun's surface.
* Solar flares: Sudden bursts of energy that can cause radio blackouts.
* Coronal mass ejections (CMEs): Large expulsions of plasma from the Sun's corona.
The solar cycle is driven by the Sun's magnetic field, which undergoes a complex process of twisting and flipping. This process results in a period of high solar activity (solar maximum) followed by a period of low activity (solar minimum).
