Sunspot Cycle Beginning to Rise

Sunspot Cycle Beginning to Rise

dsc.discovery.com

It's time for the sun to move into a busier period for sunspots, and while forecasters expect a relatively mild outbreak by historical standards, one major solar storm can cause havoc with satellites and electrical systems here.

(visit the link for the full news article)

There has certianly been a lull in supspot activity lately, but according to the article we are about to enter into a period of increased activity.

Solar cycles of more and fewer sunspots last several years and the cycle currently building up will be number 24 since counting began

The article goes on to state that we will reach a solar maximum around 2013. Get ready for some Global warming!

-E-



dsc.discovery.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 18-5-2009 by MysterE]

Sunspots do scare me, it only takes a small one to wreak havoc on our electrical devices and power grids.

Huh, I can only hope their predictions ring true and we end up having a mild season.

~Keeper

This has been happening several times for the past 3 years. A new sunspot emerged, and they claimed it was the start of the next Sun Cycle, yet to be found that it was just a hiccup.

During low sunspot activity "there are still sunspots", it doesn't mean there are none, just a lot less than there usually are.

The Sun's conveyor belt is still going at a crawl like pace, which more than certainty means this is just a hiccup.

Here is an image of previous years and their solar intensity

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f743824fdf4d.jpg[/atsimg]

-E-

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
Sunspots do scare me, it only takes a small one to wreak havoc on our electrical devices and power grids.

What worries me is the weakening of Earth's magnetic field. Even if we have a regular solar cycle, if our magnetosphere can't direct the harmful radiation to the poles then we will all need SPF2000 sun screen!

-E-

reply to post by ElectricUniverse


I'm not sure whats worse, no sun spots, or too much sun spots. Not enough, you get ice age. Too much, you get global warming. We need just the right amount.

-E-

Originally posted by MysterE

I'm not sure whats worse, no sun spots, or too much sun spots. Not enough, you get ice age. Too much, you get global warming. We need just the right amount.

-E-

Unfortunately, or fortunately we have no say on what the Sun does, which means we just have to adapt to it's changes.

It has been known throughout the history of mankind that we thrive when the Sun's activity is high, and we suffer during times when it's activity is very low like it is now.

The Sun's conveyor belt is now at the lowest pace it has been for over a century, which means not only that this Sunspot is a hiccup, but we might well have the low activity of the Sun last us a while, unless it's activity increases, and it would take a while for it to increase.

Thankfully 70-75% of the Earth's surface are oceans, which store heat from the Sun, and during times of high solar activity there is extra heat stored, which is why we haven't gone right into another LIA.

However, this could very well mean the "calm before the storm", and the Sun is getting ready to blast us away, you never know.

[edit on 18-5-2009 by ElectricUniverse]

what i would like to know is, what happens of one of these CME's happens and blasts towards earth?

there have been a few huge ones in the last month, but luckily they were headed in the other direction.

this, coupled with sunspots means big trouble ahead for us. no matter what way you look at it.

The article goes on to state that we will reach a solar maximum around 2013. Get ready for some Global warming!

Maybe 2012 is a huge solar storm!

reply to post by SecurityMaster


Well, I hope not my friend!

-E-

Anyone checked out spaceweather.com?

PINEAPPLE SPLASH: Sunspot group 1017 is so small and widely scattered, "it can hardly be seen with all the waves and blistering surface detail around it," reports astrophotographer Larry Alvarez of Flower Mound, Texas. "It looks like the remains of a pineapple dropped from 50 thousand feet."

These 13 spots are tiny and barely visible.

reply to post by MikeboydUS


I see your point. When I was reading the article, I was wondering how much of this was speculation. Personally, I don't want extra solar flares. I live in Texas, we could use some cold weather down here!

-E-

Poof!

Theyre all gone.

Sunspot group 1017 is fading rapidly and probably will be gone by the end of the day. Credit: SOHO/MDI

www.spaceweather.com...


The Sun's surface is back to blank.

[edit on 20/5/09 by MikeboydUS]

reply to post by MikeboydUS


I guess that just goes to show we are not very good at predicting what the sun will do. I wonder how long we have been taking data on the sun to be able to confidently say it goes through 12 year cycles? It seem with something so old, such a small amount of observation would lead to unreliable results.

-E-

Looks like we caught the edge of a fart this morning:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d3c225d22ab8.jpg[/atsimg]

I also cobbled this together to give spatial context.. (not to scale, and the angle is a bit off but I was rushed..)

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/83462cb7c10f.jpg[/atsimg]

And just to give everyone an idea of how many satellites that we have in orbit:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ea3a2f2d49a2.jpg[/atsimg]