Absence of sunspots make scientists wonder if they're seeing a calm before a storm of energy

Absence of sunspots make scientists wonder if they're seeing a calm before a storm of energy: "Groups of sunspots forewarn of gigantic solar storms that can unleash a billion times more energy than an atomic bomb. Fears that these giant eruptions could create havoc on Earth and disputes over the sun's role in climate change are adding urgency to these studies. When NASA and the European Space Agency launched the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory almost 15 years ago, 'understanding the solar cycle was not one of its scientific objectives,' says Bernhard Fleck, the mission's project scientist. 'Now it is one of the key questions.'"