Planet Earth could be heading for an ICE AGE as face of The Sun ‘goes blank’
Climate experts issue terrifying warning which will literally send shivers down every human's spine
The Sun has "gone blank" and it could herald the arrival of an Ice Age, it has been claimed.
This chilling prediction is based on analysis of the solar surface, which is currently exhibiting a distinct lack of action.
Normally, the face of our parent star is pocked by sunspots.
But it's looking as smooth as a billiard ball right now and sunspots are appearing at the lowest rate for 10,000 years as solar activity slows down.
, a forecaster said there were more blank suns to come.
“There will be lots of spotless suns," they said.
“At first, the blank stretches will be measured in days; later in weeks and months.
“The current blank spell is the 4th such interval of 2016, so far.”
It is feared the lack of sunspot activity could prompt the arrival of a cold snap similar to the Maunder Minimum, which started in 1645 and continued to about 1715.
This period is known as the Little Ice Age and became famous for the winter frost fairs held on the frozen surface of the Thames.
Last year, Professor Valentina Zharkova suggested a similar episode could hit Earth in the 2030s.
She said the Sun's activity would drop by up to 60% during the next mini Ice Age, potentially causing crop failures and other minor disasters down here on Earth.
He said: "I am absolutely confident in our research. It has good mathematical background and reliable data, which has been handled correctly.
"In fact, our results can be repeated by any researchers with the similar data available in many solar observatories, so they can derive their own evidence of upcoming Maunder Minimum in solar magnetic field and activity."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368