An international panel of space scientists is
predicting a long, deep, solar minimum, followed by a Cycle 25 they expect to
be similar to the now-ending Cycle 24. Spaceweather.com's Dr. Tony Phillips says the group, which met in early April at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) annual Space Weather Workshop, expects the current cycle to bottom out sometime between this July and next September, with a slow climb out of the basement toward a weak peak between 2023 and 2026.
On the other hand, says the group, there are no indications that we are headed for a repeat of the 17th-century Maunder minimum. The solar minimum will be weak, says Phillips, but not that weak. A more refined forecast is expected later this year.