Ryan French

Ryan French

Contributor

Ryan French is a solar physicist, science communicator and author. He is pursuing the mysteries of the sun at the forefront of modern solar physics research, using cutting-edge telescopes on the ground and in space. Ryan also works to share the wonders of the sun and space with the public, through public talks, television, and social media. Ryan's new book, "Space Hazards" is available now.

Latest articles by Ryan French

three images next to each other, with a close up of the sun on the left, a red and green northern lights display on the top right and a close up of Earth in the bottom right of the image

Will 2026 bring strong auroras? What the sun's recent activity tells us

By Ryan French published

2025 was another busy year on the sun. But how did it compare with 2024, and what will 2026 bring for solar activity and the northern lights?

Auroras
The sun's spotty face photographed in July 2009 by NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).

Where is the sun in its current 11-year solar cycle?

By Ryan French published

Back in 2019, a consortium of scientists predicted August 2025 as the peak of the solar activity cycle. But where are we now?

The Sun
A close up of the sun with a solar flare present on the right of the solar disk.

How to safely photograph the sun: As detailed by an expert

By Ryan French published

Solar expert Dr. Ryan French explains how to safely photograph the sun and all of its wondrous features!

The Sun
Composite view of various stages of a total solar eclipse, as seen from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. April 8, 2024

1 year since the Great North American Eclipse — Here's how the 2026 total eclipse will compare

By Ryan French published

From America to Europe: How the 2026 total solar eclipse will differ from the great eclipse of 2024.

Eclipses
sun close up image

Has the sun already passed solar maximum?

By Ryan French published

Solar Cycle 25 has surpassed its predecessor — but is the end in sight?

The Sun
a round, domed building stained green with patina is surrounded by lush green pastures

Preserving astronomy history: The fight is on to save iconic Royal Greenwich Observatory site

By Ryan French published

Nestled in the rolling green hills of the English countryside is an important site in global astronomical history. But now, with its future uncertain, this historic site is at risk.

Space Exploration
gif animation showing the sun rising through the text 2025.

The sun in 2025: How the solar cycle will shape our year ahead

By Ryan French published

We look ahead to 2025 as the sun ramps up its activity, driven by the peak of the current solar cycle.

The Sun
A giant white flare, like an X bursts from the center of a fiery surface, blazed with reds and oranges in a swirling inferno.

10 most powerful solar flares of 2024

By Ryan French published

The sun released over 50 X-class solar flares in 2024! Here we take a look at some of the best.

The Sun
a bright white arc of light erupts from the right edge of the sun

7 years ago today, the sun unleashed a record-breaking solar flare

By Ryan French published

As August 2024 set another 20-year high for sunspots, recent solar flares have yet to top two solar flares from September 2017 that still hold unbroken records.

The Sun
A close up view of the sun showing a swirling orange surface and a bright yellow prominence at the top of the image.

3 sun mysteries we still haven't cracked

By Ryan French published

Our understanding of the sun has come a long way in recent decades, but there are still multiple outstanding mysteries that current and future missions hope to solve.

The Sun
graphic of the sun in space shows a large orange sphere against a black background.

Solar maximum is in sight but when will it arrive (and when will we know)?

By Ryan French published

We explore the latest solar maximum predictions and look into why it could be a couple of years before we can confidently state when solar maximum occurred.

The Sun
graphic illustration showing a fiery solar flare from the sun and earth in the foreground.

Are there more solar flares than expected during this solar cycle?

By Ryan French published

We explore why comparing the number of solar flares between solar cycles is more complicated than you may think and why many have got it wrong.

The Sun
graphic showing two hands typing on a laptop screen with a large image of the northern lights on the screen.

More people Googled 'northern lights' in May 2024 than in any other month in history

By Ryan French published

Public interest in the sun was at an all-time high in May. Here we explore why this was the case.

The Sun
two panel image on the left the sunspot is visible on the limb of the sun as a dark patch against a monochrome sun and on the right it is flaring with large fiery looking plasma loops of yellow.

That giant sunspot that supercharged auroras on Earth? It's back and may amp up the northern lights with June solar storms.

By Ryan French published

Old sunspot region AR 13664, now renamed AR 13697, is back. With its re-arrival, can we expect a resurgence of solar activity?

The Sun