Comment on "The Sun is less active than other solar-like stars"

TL;DR

This paper critiques previous interpretations of solar activity measurements, proposing that solar-like stars become permanently less variable after a certain evolutionary stage, explaining observed differences.

Contribution

It offers a reinterpretation of stellar activity data, emphasizing the role of stellar evolution in activity variability.

Findings

Stars become less variable after a specific evolutionary phase

The observed differences are explained by stellar evolution effects

Supports the idea of a permanent reduction in variability for older solar-like stars

Abstract

Reinhold et al. (Science, 1 May 2020, p. 518) provided two possible interpretations of measurements showing that the Sun is less active than other solar-like stars. We argue that one of those interpretations anticipates the observed differences between the properties of their two stellar samples. This suggests that solar-like stars become permanently less variable beyond a specific evolutionary phase.