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Changing times


Floater

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I was mooching around on Solarham.net earlier and I've strung together these images of the Sun on this date from 2014 to present day.

I kicked in to solar viewing in late 2014 and this little series makes for interesting viewing, I think, and provides a graphic illustration of the plunge into solar minimum.

2014

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2015

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2016

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Today

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It may take a while ... but the only way is up! (I hope.?)

And we'll have the Parker Probe reports to look forward to. ?

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Great way of evidencing the start of the solar minimum, which also dovetailed with me taking an interest in our nearest star. I think Homer Simpson would say “D’oh”.

Fortunately, Ha filters are available and, clouds permitting, there is always something to see.

Keep those ? on and don’t let those DSO imagers get you down!

John

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Considering were almost neighbours, and share an almost identical sky and weather pattern, and considering how awful our weather has been over the last few Years, is that a good enough reason  for studying solar instead of the night sky?
 
And  Ive just realised something else regarding your report recently on the lack of wildlife in your vicinity?........Its because your seeing too much Sun, given your change of direction to Solar, preventing you from  seeing the 100's of butterflies cruising in-around Aberdeen. I'm seeing, and have made a mental note just about everyday since your report, on the vast amount of insects and butterflies I've seen of late,  just loads of them.

There's definitely a lack of activity in the Sun, I believe there's an eleven year cycle, when radio amateurs talk about solar activity.

By the way, I'm joking about the Sunlight in your eyes, before someone else comments! ( I know you know what your doing and doing it safely!)

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17 minutes ago, Hughsie said:

Fortunately, Ha filters are available and, clouds permitting, there is always something to see.

Couldn’t agree more, John. And it was the Ha element of solar that pulled me in rather than white light. Not shown in the above images, of course, but I remember being gobsmacked at the proms and filaments in 2014/15. One of the filaments was so big it almost split the disc in half! And proms were shooting out an astonishing distance. Hasta la vista!

12 minutes ago, DRT said:

I took up Solar observing around the same time as you Gordon and I think those images sum up my experience too ?

Yes, Derek. But I know that you, like me, still love the bright side. ?

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1 minute ago, Charic said:

Considering were almost neighbours, and share an almost identical sky and weather pattern, and considering how awful our weather has been over the last few Years, is that a good enough reason  for studying solar instead of the night sky?
 
And  Ive just realised something else regarding your report recently on the lack of wildlife in your vicinity?........Its because your seeing too much Sun, given your change of direction to Solar, preventing you from  seeing the 100's of butterflies cruising in-around Aberdeen. I'm seeing, and have made a mental note just about everyday since your report, on the vast amount of insects and butterflies I've seen of late,  just loads of them.

Ha! Good to hear from you, Chas. A bit of a switch to the thread but more than happy.

I agree, there are many butterflies around now, although the majority are Whites - Cabbage Whites, I was told as a bairn - and the odd Red Admiral. A lot more bumblebees, too, I’m happy to say. Everything just came late, it seems.

But my main point in that earlier post was the dearth of swifts - and that remains. Very, very few swifts. Plenty of martins, fewer swallows and hardly any swifts. Could that be why we’re smothered with hoverflies...? ?

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2 minutes ago, Floater said:

we’re smothered with hoverflies...? ?

Are they the same as Cleggs? I got eaten alive by Cleggs about six weeks ago on Arran. The bites haven't gone yet!

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Nice post Gordon. I started out doing solar observing about the same time as you and there was nearly always some activity in WL. Along came the solar minimum and countless blank days. That’s why I turned to Ha earlier this year. Thank goodness I did.

Going slightly off topic, it is a well recognised fact that swift numbers have plummeted in this area over the last few years, so much so that an organisation called Swift concern Scotland came into being. In Glasgow and the surrounding areas the main cause seems to be the lack of suitable nesting sites. As the old tenement buildings were being renovated new facing boards were fitted and the birds no longer have access to spaces under the eaves of the roofs. Nest box schemes have been introduced but it will be a long process before obvious effects are seen.

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Yes, John, a decline in the number of swifts has been noted for some years, certainly. It’s just that this year there appears to be a catastrophic plunge. Apart from the historic reasons such as fewer nesting sites, etc., it is suggested that this year they were hit by extreme weather in southern France just as they were trying to come north. The sand martins arrive first, then house martins and swallows, and last, the swifts. It appears the timing was critical; they got caught up in dreadful conditions and were hammered!

There are also suggestions that poor summers over the past few years have meant they struggle to stock up on food before heading back to Africa and, therefore, often don’t make it. I’m not expert enough to square that with how swallows and martins, apparently, have done better. Anyhow, I miss seeing those crescent wings in the summer sky.

Back on topic, you’re dead right about Ha viewing. It’s a saviour!

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Howdy! Yes us hams pay attention to solar activities since it can improve or ruin communication on the various band widths. For example, major sunspot activity can increase the distance we can send and receive on 6 meter frequencies. Also on the flip side flares and CMEs can make other bands nearly unusable. There are also those rare occasions where major CMEs can cause such havoc in the atmosphere that the outcome can fry radios. The last instance like this I know of was in the late 1800s. It literally caused telegraph wires to catch fire. 

Just as an FYI for anyone interested, there are ham radio astronomy nets. People discuss their observations, talk about upcoming celestial events, some even connect the radios to there scopes. The last is so one person can control all the scopes on the net. This allows everyone to be observing the same thing while they discuss the object. Some also use the radios the send pictures back and forth. Many also use radios to contact the ISS. The ISS always has astronauts that are hams. Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread. :)

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Another Ham Radio operator here, so due to the fall into minima the ham bands have been very poor, and especially over the last year or so as we head down to minima I think sometime next year if you follow the predictions, then the 40 metre band (7mhz) for me has been very poor for close contacts around the UK so I've switched over to using Morse code for the last couple of years to see if my signal will be carry a little further, or so as said, I I think it's a year or so we may find conditions like they are now, but then give it another year or so and it may begin to pick up, but I heard somewhere that it's the 'quietest'  minima since records began - yes very changing times. 

Paul. 

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Ive wondered the same thing about the weather and solar minimum. But then I live in Kentucky. We have a running joke here, "if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes". Lol about the truth!

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DRT, I just saw a reference to the "Little Ice Age" in the 17th and 18th centuries. It stated that at the same time there was a 70 year absence of sunspots! Interesting, I'm gonna have to dig a little more.

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