Quote:
Originally Posted by Fraser
SUMMARY: We've now reached the Sun's solar minimum; there's not a sunspot anywhere across the surface of our closest star. Give it a few years, though, and it should be anything but quiet. Solar researchers think they understand the long term cycles of solar activity, and they're predicting that the next Solar Maximum - expected to arrive between 2010 and 2012 - will be the strongest in 50 years.
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Oh goody!
Will have to get a solar telescope for sure. Yeah, I know increased 'spots = increased flares, resultant havoc on satellites, power grids, etc., but sorry -- I'm still looking forward to an active, brisk maximum.
The minimum seems to have dragged on for quite a while now. The other day the 'spot count was up in the 40s or 50s, which was very surprising. But it quickly dropped back down to zero.
I enjoy Galileo's sunspot sketches. There's an animation of those sketches combined somewhere on the 'net. He recorded
huge chains of sunspots, the likes of which I'd love to see.