Sunspot Cycle

Sunspots occur in regular cycles of 11 years on average, the cycle can vary from 10 to 13 years. At sunspot minimum very few will appear on the Sun's surface and those that do will occur at higher latitudes either side of the Sun's equator. As the cycle progresses sunspots tend to become more numerous and appear closer and closer towards the equator. At sunspot maximum more and larger spots appear and then the whole cycle repeats.
2013 is due to be the maximum of the current cycle but it is underperforming, and it is likely to be the least active since the start of the 20th century.