Still no sunspots...

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by alexander

back on topic.... how's the solar activity these days? are we finally seeing some?

Very nice thank you. Here's an interesting site I found today. >> SOLARCYCLE 24.com / Solar Cycle 24 / Spaceweather / Amateur Radio VHF Aurora Website.

Something from Dow'nder: >> Harry watches solar cycle 24 gather pace at Sydney Observatory - news and views on astronomy from Sydney

Originally Posted by Harry Roberts

September and October 2008 saw a burst of cycle 24 activity that after a year of very few sunspots was a welcome change. Throughout the past year however solar prominences put on an amazing display, mostly around 45 to 50º north and south latitudes; though some were associated with a strong coronal hole near the sun’s equator that also produced several short-lived sunspots.

Prior to the two months mentioned there had been about eight very small sunspots at high latitudes with the reversed polarity that marked them as cycle 24 spots. Many of these spots lasted less than 24 hours and some failed to gain NOAA active region numbers – and so disappeared from the official sunspot count. Also the new cycle spots appeared very infrequently, often months apart.

Starting in September however, things changed; prominences seemed to fade, and new cycle spots appeared much more often.

AR 11002 (aka1002 for short) was first viewed Sept. 23 as two tiny spots at 26ºN longitude 72º - in H-alpha bright plage and a faint active region filament were seen. By the 25th the plage and filament remained but the spots had gone.

AR (?): this group was viewed on Sept. 30 when alerted by solar observer and member of the Sydney City Skywatchers, Monty Leventhal, that a spot was visible. I had it at 23ºN longitude 295º - but it failed to gain an AR number, and like several others went in the official reject bin. Its magnetic polarity and high latitude marked it too as C24 group. ...

The Sun today is blank; no sunspots whatsoever.
http://www.spaceweather.com/images20...cm31cd7ja8mka2

[alexander]

peculiar.... maybe someone or thing is stealing our sun spots, you think if we gathered a little fake intelligence about some third world country stealing sun spots, the us gov-t will invade it? wait, do sun spots pay as well as oil? and by pay, i mean cost 300-350 million a day?

how long did the last stretch of sun's magnetic inactivity last?

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by alexander

peculiar.... maybe someone or thing is stealing our sun spots, you think if we gathered a little fake intelligence about some third world country stealing sun spots, the us gov-t will invade it? wait, do sun spots pay as well as oil? and by pay, i mean cost 300-350 million a day?

how long did the last stretch of sun's magnetic inactivity last?

don't worry Alex; I'll see that you get your cut.

here's a nice site with a graphic record of recorded sunspot activity throughout history: >>

History of Sunspot Observations

Surprisingly, humans have observed sunspots for a very long time, so historical sunspot observations provide us with some of our best long-duration records of solar activity. Large sunspots can sometimes be seen with the naked eye, especially when the Sun is viewed through fog near the horizon at sunrise or sunset. (WARNING: Never look directly at the Sun! Even a brief glance can damage your eyes!) The first written record of sunspots was made by Chinese astronomers around 800 B.C. Court astrologers in ancient China and Korea, who believed sunspots foretold important events, kept sporadic records of sunspots for hundred of years. An English monk named John of Worcester made the first drawing of sunspots in December 1128. ...

[Flying Binghi]

An interesting link there Turtle

...In contrast to these periods of sunspot minima, sunspot counts have been higher than usual since around 1900, which has led some scientists to call this time the Modern Maximum. Likewise a period called the Medieval Maximum, which lasted from 1100 to 1250, apparently had higher levels of sunspots and associated solar activity, and intriguingly coincides (at least partially) with a period of warmer climates on Earth called the Medieval Warm Period.

[modest]

Originally Posted by REASON

Also, this thread is intended to discuss the seemingly unusual lack of sunspots and solar activity, and it is preferable that we not spiral off into another discussion on the merits of AGW here.

I'm personally rooting for their return now that I've read Turtle's link:

Originally Posted by Turtle

History of Sunspot Observations

I'm sure I'll go blind for my efforts, but I gotta catch me a glimpse

~modest

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Originally Posted by modest

I'm personally rooting for their return now that I've read Turtle's link:



I'm sure I'll go blind for my efforts, but I gotta catch me a glimpse

~modest

Hit up your nearest store that sells welding supplies
Buy either a set of goggles or a welding helmet or just the filter it will save your eyes and allow you to see the sun better...At a minimum you want a shade 5 filter.....NO LESS THAN A SHADE 5!!!!!!!!!!!!! An 8 would be preferable......they are cheap and will last you a lifetime if cared for.....We're talkin like $5-$20 typically...Skip the auto-dark type filters they while super cool (cuz they go from lightly tinted to black in no time flat) tend to not stay dark when aimed at a continuously bright light source.

[modest]

Thanks DD. That is very sage advice indeed. I'll let my girlfriend know she's got one more gift to buy

Used in conjunction with a telescopic lens, maybe I can get some good pics to post...

~modest

[freeztar]

Another option is to project the image of the sun onto a piece of paper. We did this in my astronomy class and were able to draw the sunspots on the piece of paper. It's even possible to track sunspot movement with this method.

Do-it-yourself Sunspot Watching

[Turtle]

Great viewing info peeps! We may get a chance to employ them in the next couple days.

Originally Posted by SpaceWeaterher

NEW SUNSPOTS:
This morning, Dec. 24th, NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft photographed a pair of active regions emerging in the sun's southern hemisphere. Clouds of hot glowing gas detected by STEREO's extreme UV telescope probably mask a pair of new-cycle sunspots underneath:

The clouds and spots are not yet visible from Earth. STEREO-B is stationed over the sun's eastern limb where it can see things up to three days before the sun's rotation turns them toward our planet. So, consider this a sneak preview.

Readers, if you have a solar telescope, keep an eye on the eastern limb. Something is coming. ETA: Dec. 26th.

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

[Turtle]

Those spots never came to much. Here's a couple press releases:

SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

Originally Posted by SpaceWeather.com

January 4, 2009
SOLAR CYCLE UPDATE: Final sunspot counts for the year 2008 are now available and the numbers are very low. The sun was utterly blank--that is, it had no sunspots whatsoever--on 266 days last year. That makes 2008 a century-class year in terms of low sunspot numbers. To find a year with more blank suns, you have to go all the way back to 1913, which had 311 spotless days. Now for the good news: Evidence is mounting that the deep solar minimum of 2008 is coming to an end; we can expect a livelier sun in 2009.

NASA - The Sun Shows Signs of Life

Old Solar Cycle 23 peaked in 2000 and has since decayed to low levels. Meanwhile, new Solar Cycle 24 has struggled to get started. 2008 is a year of overlap with both cycles weakly active at the same time. From January to September, the sun produced a total of 22 sunspot groups; 82% of them belonged to old Cycle 23. October added five more; but this time 80% belonged to Cycle 24. The tables have turned....