Another Solar Question for the Brains Dedpartment

[Pig]

I have just spent the most part of the day observing the sun and I have found it very intriguing indeed, However, it has left me pondering the following, any ideas anyone ?

What are sun spots ?

Do we know the impact they have on us ?

Whay are there so many at the moment ?

Thank you in advance

[K3ny0n]

Courtesy of Wiki,

"Sunspots are temporary phenomena on the photosphere of the Sun that appear visibly as dark spots compared to surrounding regions. They are caused by intensemagnetic activity, which inhibits convection by an effect comparable to the eddy current brake, forming areas of reduced surface temperature. Like magnets, they also have two poles."

Hope it helps a tad.

Rob.

[Pig]

Thank you Rob - I tried looking on the interweb but got all the same answers.

I think there is still more brains in here to give me all the info

[K3ny0n]

Also sun spots have a cycle of around 11 years and the point of the most active is called the solar maximum and ofcourse the lowest solar minimum, maybe that explains why there are alot of activity at this time, but I will leave that for the well educated.

Rob.

[jonathan]

The sun has seasons and cycles just like the Earth and other planets, as it is affected by the gravitational pull of all the planets orbiting it, and to a lesser degree by other stars in the vicinity. Think of the effect the moon has on our tides, it's the same kind of thing.

[Peter Drew]

I might add, in case you are worried, I don't think the sunspots will have any harmful effect on any of us.

[Pig]

I finally managed to zoom in x 491 and counted around 40 sunspots, the last time I looked I am sure I couldn't see more than 15, maybe I have just got used to the scope and optics

Also sun spots have a cycle of around 11 years and the point of the most active is called the solar maximum and ofcourse the lowest solar minimum, maybe that explains why there are alot of activity at this time, but I will leave that for the well educated.

Rob.

Rob, I didnt mean to sound patronising - please forgive me

[ilove1995]

The sun has seasons and cycles just like the Earth and other planets, as it is affected by the gravitational pull of all the planets orbiting it, and to a lesser degree by other stars in the vicinity. Think of the effect the moon has on our tides, it's the same kind of thing.

I never thought about what affect the orbiting planets would have on the Sun. Good to learn this, thanks.

[Pig]

Its really surprising the effect everything has on each other.

What i really cant get my head around is Entropy.

Can there not be any order within all of the dissorder ?

[KenG]

Sunspots are lower than the sun's surface. The best way to observe this phenomenon is when a spot is on the sun's limb. Look closely and you'll see that the spot presents itself as a crater.

[Andy McK]

In my Radio ham days, the 11 year cycle was very important to us, the increased ionisation of the atmosphere would propagate radio waves greatly

and at solar minimum, you were better off using tin cans and string

[ollypenrice]

There are some good small books on the sun. http://www.amazon.com/Sun-Observers-Guide-Pam-Spence/dp/1552979415 This is a good guide because it explains what you're looking at.

It's not entirely true that sunspots can't hurt you. When the sun is very active in its 11/22 year cycle it has many sunspots and this can also be a time for major eruptions like coronal mass ejections. The charged particles fired at the Earth can knock out satellites, shut down national grids and cause a certain amount of mayhem. They also allowed a couple of German warships under UK radar in WW2, which might have been dangerous! Equally a lack of sunspot activity over a prolonged period seems to give rise to spells of intensely cold climate change such as the mini ice ages. The people of London found themelves not only cold but menaced by irate boatmen whose livelihood was threatened when people found they could just stroll across the Thames for free. Armed boatmen 'explained' the need for a guide to such pedestrians...

So, danger danger everwhere!

Olly

[Aldebaran5]

When I looked yesterday thru my ETX70 with 25mm eyepiece, all I could see was about 4 sunspots. Do you mean there were more, if so I couldn't or didn't see them. When is the solar maximum due. Can anyone say please.

[K3ny0n]

Rob, I didnt mean to sound patronising - please forgive me

I never took it that way matey, no worries.

Rob.

[Pig]

When I looked yesterday thru my ETX70 with 25mm eyepiece, all I could see was about 4 sunspots. Do you mean there were more, if so I couldn't or didn't see them. When is the solar maximum due. Can anyone say please.

I managed to zoom right in and the four dark areas are made up of many spots

[Pig]

Cheers Olly - i'll go and have a look.