Daily solar observations gathered for years at the century-old Kodaikanal Solar Observatory have led to a breakthrough understanding of how the Sun's magnetic activity varies across its latitudes -- a discovery that could deepen insights into the solar dynamo, impact space-weather forecasting, and even help climate models. The study, led by researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), analysed 11 years (20152025) of spectroscopic data captured in the calcium-K line of sunlight -- a spectral signature that forms high in the Sun's chromosphere and serves as a sensitive marker of magnetic activity. The Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, which recently celebrated 125 years of continuous observation, maintains one of the world's longest solar datasets, said Apoorva Srinivasa, one of the authors of the study, to PTI. According to him, the research team used this rich archive to track how the Sun's magnetic