Lunatiki
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/07/05
Posts: 1252
Loc: Amarillo, TX
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Drop in solar activity has potential effect for climate on earth. The sun has reached a milestone not seen for nearly 100 years: an entire month has passed without a single visible sunspot being noted.
The event is significant as many climatologists now believe solar magnetic activity – which determines the number of sunspots -- is an influencing factor for climate on earth.
Full Story
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6785
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Well, I think they haven't been watching the sun very closely (at least as closely as those of us on Cloudynights). There was a sunspot on the sun on August 21st, although it didn't last too long. There have also been a few small active regions that developed but didn't form much in the way of sunspots, so the sun hasn't exactly been completely devoid of activity for the past month. It is far too soon for the media to be crying out about the lack of sunspots just yet. Let's wait a while and then we will see. Clear skies to you.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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Qkslvr
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/23/06
Posts: 1054
Loc: NE Ohio, US
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I've been scanning the Solar forum for most of the year, and while I don't have a good feel for normal, It appears that the Sun has had very little activity.
BTW, We've had a very mild summer, and August IMO is much cooler than normal.
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Mike
N8/CG-5/40D
Coming sometime/Maybe FrankenRebel
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Scott Horstman
Vendor- Backyard Observatories
Reged: 03/11/04
Posts: 4845
Loc: Island of Misfit Toys
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Article claims Sun spots may vanish by 2015
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Scott.
My Gallery
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Kobayashi
sage
Reged: 07/10/08
Posts: 291
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I understand journalists would want to put a sensationalist spin on this, but it really is unwarranted, or at least premature. This article gives a more balanced view; among other things, it points out that the new cycle sunspots have already been observed. And there were a few active regions observed in the past month.
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-- Ken Kobayashi
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Lunatiki
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/07/05
Posts: 1252
Loc: Amarillo, TX
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I was a bit surprised by the story. I check spaceweather.com daily, and I could swear there have been a few sunspots over the coarse of the last year.
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Mars Watch
All images taken with:
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DBK 21AF04.AS
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6785
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Quote:
Article claims Sun spots may vanish by 2015
A review article done on the original paper:
http://www.astroengine.com/?p=678
Again, as the article points out, the limited period of data is a problem for making predictions (that and a "linear" extrapolation of data which may not be linear at all). Clear skies to you.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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Qkslvr
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/23/06
Posts: 1054
Loc: NE Ohio, US
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If indeed it's "winding down", I wonder if this has any influence to the predictions that our N/S poles are going to switch.
While vacuum isn't a good core for a transformer, it might be good enough that there some coupling between the sun's magnetic field, and the earth's field.
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Mike
N8/CG-5/40D
Coming sometime/Maybe FrankenRebel
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Kobayashi
sage
Reged: 07/10/08
Posts: 291
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Quote:
If indeed it's "winding down", I wonder if this has any influence to the predictions that our N/S poles are going to switch.
While vacuum isn't a good core for a transformer, it might be good enough that there some coupling between the sun's magnetic field, and the earth's field.
The Sun's magnetic field switches polarity every cycle (i.e. every 11 years), while the earth's field switches over much longer timescale (typically hundreds of thousands of years). It seems unlikely to me there's any coupling.
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-- Ken Kobayashi
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Lusty
super member
Reged: 08/24/08
Posts: 193
Loc: Florida USA
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Quote:
I was a bit surprised by the story. I check spaceweather.com daily, and I could swear there have been a few sunspots over the coarse of the last year.
I wonder if any of the main stream media will give this attention?
Solar Wind Lowest in 50 Years: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/23sep_solarwind.htm
No Sunspots: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/11jul_solarcycleupdate.htm
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/02/13/where-have-all-the-sunspots-gone/
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/06/02/livingston-and-penn-paper-sunspots-may-vanish-by-2015/
While I only observe the sun a little lately, I don't remember a time I could no see any spots. We're doomed! 
Edited by Lusty (09/26/08 09:14 AM)
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6785
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Quote:
Quote:
I was a bit surprised by the story. I check spaceweather.com daily, and I could swear there have been a few sunspots over the coarse of the last year.
I wonder if any of the main stream media will give this attention?
Solar Wind Lowest in 50 Years: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/23sep_solarwind.htm
No Sunspots: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/11jul_solarcycleupdate.htm
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/02/13/where-have-all-the-sunspots-gone/
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2008/06/02/livingston-and-penn-paper-sunspots-may-vanish-by-2015/
While I only observe the sun a little lately, I don't remember a time I could no see any spots. We're doomed!
In past sunspot cycles, I have seen many days where the disk was blank. However, the new cycle has definitely begun, as a nice Cycle 24 group developed early this week with up to eight sunspots in it. It has now decayed into two small areas of plage, but that is fairly typical behavior for small groups. Clear skies to you.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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zee
super member
Reged: 07/04/07
Posts: 134
Loc: Arizona (varies)
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Lusty, I did hear a radio bit, on a BBC show recast on NPR, about the solar wind. They made a point to say not to worry about this, unless you're an astronaut doing a spacewalk, and then maybe worry.
I'd predict if the mainstream media got ahold of it, they'd tie it in to sunscreen commercials.  So much of mainstream news seems to scream "panic!"
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8" Orion classic dob
15x70 Celestron Skymaster
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Matthew Ota
sage
Reged: 04/30/05
Posts: 205
Loc: New Hampshire
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I was shooting daily directs of the photosphere at the Mt Wilson 60 foot solar tower, until we realized we were wasting a lot of film plates. No sunspots, so we quit taking directs...
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Matthew Ota
10 inch Meade LX250GPS SCT (LX50/LX200GPS clone) f6.3-Orion 80ED, ETX-90 OTA, Coronado Helios 1 H-alpha Solar Telescope
Cassini Huygens Saturn Observation Campaign
New Hampshire Astronomical Society
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Lusty
super member
Reged: 08/24/08
Posts: 193
Loc: Florida USA
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Quote:
Lusty, I did hear a radio bit, on a BBC show recast on NPR, about the solar wind. They made a point to say not to worry about this, unless you're an astronaut doing a spacewalk, and then maybe worry.
I'd predict if the mainstream media got ahold of it, they'd tie it in to sunscreen commercials. So much of mainstream news seems to scream "panic!"
Wow, I can hear them now with how SUV's caused a spotless Sun!   My buddy Rik has been filling me on on this problem for months and more than one solar studier is concerned. We need a new cause, eh? 
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spaceydee
Postmaster
Reged: 04/16/04
Posts: 15355
Loc: Where the Kittens Are
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I wouldn't panic!
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Dee
space-scientist
student violinist
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