sun
© NASA/SDOCoronal mass ejection as viewed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on June 7, 2011
Scientists are saying that the Sun has entered a phase of Solar lull, which in essence, means it has fallen asleep. The scientists feel this could lead to another ice age. History suggests that periods of unusual "solar lull" coincide with bitterly cold winters.

The sun's activity hit a dramatic low in 2008, a historic lull that caused a similar drop in magnetic effects on Earth - with an eight-month lag, a new study suggests.The study found that many magnetic changes on Earth are indeed strongly linked to the solar activity cycle, though not in perfect synchrony, and it can help scientists map out some causes. The speed of the solar wind - the 1-million-mph stream of particles coming from the sun - as well as the strength and direction of the magnetic fields embedded in it helped produce the low readings on our planet, researchers said.