There was an average of 215.5 daily sunspots on the sun's surface during August.
This time-lapse image shows every visible dark patch moving across the sun during this time.
(Image credit: SDO/Şenol Şanlı/Uğur İkizler)
Posted on 09/04/2024 10:56:28 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The number of black spots peppering the sun's surface in August was the highest for almost 23 years, new data shows. The latest sunspot count was more than twice as high as initial forecasts predicted and is another clear sign that the sun's explosive peak, or solar maximum, is likely well underway — and will be far more active than scientists initially thought.
Sunspots are regions of the sun's surface where surges of electromagnetic radiation break through the star's magnetic field, creating relatively cool patches that appear black to us thanks to an optical illusion. Along with the size and frequency of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, sunspot numbers indicate the progress of the sun's roughly 11-year solar cycle.
During the sun's least active phase, or solar minimum, there are very few or occasionally no sunspots. For example, in late 2019, shortly before the start of the current solar cycle (Solar Cycle 25), there were 40 consecutive days with no visible sunspots. But as the sun's magnetic field gets entangled with itself and weakens, sunspot numbers quickly climb before peaking during solar maximum. During this active phase, the sun's magnetic field eventually snaps and completely flips, which triggers a falling-off period of solar activity and a decrease in sunspots until the whole cycle restarts.
There was an average of 215.5 daily sunspots on the sun's surface during August.
This time-lapse image shows every visible dark patch moving across the sun during this time.
(Image credit: SDO/Şenol Şanlı/Uğur İkizler)
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
Scientists have been observing and documenting sunspot activity ever since Galileo first discovered them in 1610 (or 1612, accounts vary). What the more than 400 years of scientific observations shows is that increased sunspot activity means warmer temperatures on earth.
My fault. I accidentally left a bottle of spot remover when I was on the sun.
A lack of sunspots has been associated with decreased solar output and cooling of the planet. Since a minor amount of warming is better than cooling this is good news. The primary driver of the climate has always been the big bright ball in the sky and not CO2.
WTAH? Stoopid climate change.
Oh no!!! We’re all going to die!
And how!
I would rather worry about things I can actually do something about and that list is getting smaller every day.
I did go to an EV Star Cruiser but now I can't do the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs anymore. Don't even start me on how much that charging cable cost...
You’ll be seeing more news articles about global warming any time now.
-SB
The government pharaoh will force people to offer sacrifices to the sun god.
It’s a natural cycle which repeats every 11 years .
Certainly nothing for anyone to worry about…
“ Don’t even start me on how much that charging cable cost...”
So your convenience is more important than the future of the galaxy?
You are willing to sacrifice hundreds of planets ?
HOW DARE YOU
CHANGE THAT-—AL GORE & GRETA
Amateur radio operators used to get quite enthused with developing sunspots and hf propagation improvement.
William Herschel, who discovered Uranus in the 18th Century, in 1801 found correlation between the historic record of the number of of sun spots and the recorded prices of wheat in England.
Planet 8, Neptune, was discovered in 1846 during the Mexican War.
There is currently a search for a possible "Planet 9" whose existence is deduced from the orbits of a number of TNOs (Trans-Neptune Objects) in the solar system. Will Planet 9 be discovered during the current Russia-Ukraine War?
Sunspot baby, sure had a real good time!
And *scientists* were predicting an all time quiet period for the sun that was supposed to last, something like decades.
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