Scientists are saying that the Sun is in a phase of "solar lull" - meaning that it has fallen asleep - and it is baffling them.
History suggests that periods of unusual "solar lull" coincide with bitterly cold winters.
Rebecca Morelle reports for BBC
Newsnight on the effect this inactivity could have on our current climate, and what the implications might be for global warming.
Comment: The implications for global warming are: THAT IT'S OVER!
Solar activity is so low that we may indeed be facing an ice age in the not too distant future:
Sun's bizarre activity may trigger another ice age
New paper predicts a sharp decline in solar activity until 2100
Falling temperatures are giving climate alarmists chills