Media playback is unsupported on your device

Has the sun gone to sleep?

17 January 2014 Last updated at 05:57 GMT

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 looks into the effect that this inactivity could have on our current climate, and what the implications might be for global warming.