[RVRC] Sunspot activity

[Drew Moore]

New data released Tuesday at the annual meeting of the solar physics
division of the American Astronomical Society in Las Cruces, New
Mexico<about:blank>, may suggest that we are headed towards a solar event
that hasn't happened in hundreds of years.

The new findings came from studies that found a missing jet stream in the
solar interior, fading sunspots on the sun's visible surface, and changes in
the corona and near the poles - all of which point towards declining solar
activity at a time when our closest star should be showing signs of
increasing activity.

There are some scientists at the conference believe that the current
findings from the studies mean that we are at the beginning of a Maunder
Minimum, a decades long period of low solar activity.
http://losangeles.ibtimes.com/articles/162919/20110614/solar-flare-ice-age-g
lobal-warming-sun.htm<http://losangeles.ibtimes.com/articles/162919/20110614
/solar-flare-ice-age-global-warming-sun.htm><http://losangeles.ibtimes.com/a
rticles/162919/20110614/solar-flare-ice-age-global-warming-sun.htm%3chttp:/l
osangeles.ibtimes.com/articles/162919/20110614/solar-flare-ice-age-global-wa
rming-sun.htm%3e>


Don (K2DSV):

I have a dedicated solar telescope, and have been watching the sun's
activity for years.  This prolonged minimum prediction has been discussed
for some time, and seems to be coming true.  Not great news for hams...  On
the other side of the coin, let's hope that we never experience that massive
solar eruption that occurred in the 1800s that could (today) bring
technology to a screeching halt.

More importantly, if we would stop giving Nobel Peace Prizes to
non-scientific ex-Vice Presidents with political agendas, we might start to
understand that Global Warming may be related to other variables, like the
sun.


Martin Minnicino

WN2SJL