The study suggests solar magnetic activity is being pushed into a layer beneath the Sun’s surface (Image: NASA/SDO)
Something remarkable is occurring with the Sun, and scientists have uncovered its mysterious behaviour by detecting tiny sound waves within our host star.
An international team of researchers led by the University of Birmingham has published a groundbreaking study revealing that the Sun’s internal rhythm exposes “previously hidden changes” in solar activity over the past 40 years.
While the Sun may appear to us as a constant source of light and warmth in the sky, NASA confirms that it is in fact a dynamic star that is “constantly changing and sending energy out into space.”
The Sun experiences periods of both low and high activity, cycling through these phases roughly every 11 years. According to a NASA study, the Sun has been intensifying its activity and becoming progressively more active since 2008. Heightened solar activity can trigger a greater number of space weather events, such as solar storms, flares, and coronal mass ejections.
Monitoring the Sun’s activity enables us here on Earth to prepare for the potential impact of solar energy and particle releases. This latest research offers a deeper understanding of how the Sun’s internal shifts can influence space weather and solar activity.
What has changed with the Sun?
The researchers, whose study was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) on May 28, 2026, examined four decades of helioseismic data gathered by six telescopes across the globe. Helioseismology is the scientific discipline concerned with studying sound wave oscillations within the Sun.
By listening to the minute sound waves emanating from within the Sun — which differ from conventional measurements of solar activity — the team arrived at a fresh understanding of the Sun’s behaviour across recent cycles.
The study indicates that solar magnetic activity is being driven into an “increasingly shallow layer” just beneath the Sun’s visible surface, with these findings pointing towards long-term shifts in the Sun’s conduct.
“The Sun has its own ‘active biorhythm’ creating rising and falling magnetic activity that shapes space weather. However, traditional surface measures don’t capture the full story – that the Sun may be entering a different mode of behaviour unfolding over decades,” said lead author Bill Chaplin, from the University of Birmingham, according to the news release.
A new study uncovers long-term changes in the Sun’s solar activity (Image: Getty Images)
Why should people on Earth care about the Sun?
“We have uncovered evidence of systematic changes in the solar activity cycle. Crucially, magnetic activity is becoming more tightly confined near the surface with each cycle,” Chaplin said.
“This is the first such discovery and would have been impossible without the long BiSON observations.”
The scientists also discovered, using high-frequency helioseismic data, that the current phase of the Sun’s solar activity, Cycle 25, is more powerful than conventional surface measurements suggest.
The researchers highlighted that comprehending the variations that influence the solar cycle and its activity is crucial for forecasting space weather, which can have substantial impacts on communications and other systems for people on Earth.
What impact do solar storms have on Earth?
According to NASA, solar storms can trigger major disturbances to Earth’s magnetic field, resulting in radio blackouts, power outages, and aurora borealis. Space weather can also disrupt satellites, GPS, communications, and power grids on Earth.
“We discovered that the relationship between internal solar oscillations and surface activity has evolved over the past few cycles,” said Sarbani Basu, from Yale University, in the release. “This trend cannot be explained simply by weaker magnetic fields. Instead, it indicates a structural reorganisation of how the Sun’s magnetic activity is stored beneath the surface.”
The researchers propose that additional analysis is required to gain a clearer understanding of the Sun’s present cycle and the forthcoming cycle, and whether the observed shifts signal a systemic transformation in the Sun’s activity.