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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/astro-magnetic-cycle-22-years

How long does the Sun's full magnetic cycle take to return to the same polarity?

About 22 years, two 11-year sunspot cycles.

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  1. About 11 years
  2. About 22 years ✔
  3. About 5.5 years

Why: In each new sunspot cycle, the magnetic polarity of the leading spots in each hemisphere flips. So the pattern only fully repeats after two 11-year cycles.

Huh, didn't know that: In a sunspot pair, one spot usually has north magnetic polarity and the other south.

The dad joke
The Sun flips its magnetic field every cycle. It just can't make up its mind which way is north.
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References

Answer: About 22 years. In each new sunspot cycle, the magnetic polarity of the leading spots in each hemisphere flips. So the pattern only fully repeats after two 11-year cycles.

  1. Astronomy 2e, 15.2 The Solar Cycle openstax.org/books/astronomy-2e/pages/15-2-the-solar-cycle
    the sunspot cycle does not repeat itself in regard to magnetic polarity until two 11-year cycles have passed.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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