Solar activity?

[TheThing]

As I understand it, we're coming towards the end of the Maunder (sp?) Minimum for solar activity, or it's end is possibly a little over due?

Could this be the reason that we've had pretty bitter winters the last two years or is it just a coincidence?

[Catanonia]

I do think the scare mongers such as global warmers and tree huggers do tend to forget these little events sometimes

We still not had as bad as the 1947 winter yet.......

yeah i know, stacks of evidence to support global warming and not taking into account individual events in time, but rather a series or events over years... But that is boring

[skye at night]

I do think the scare mongers such as global warmers and tree huggers do tend to forget these little events sometimes

We still not had as bad as the 1947 winter yet.......

yeah i know, stacks of evidence to support global warming and not taking into account individual events in time, but rather a series or events over years... But that is boring

Eeeeaaasy!!! That's hinting at a topic that seems to 'ignite' fury on 'some' Astro Forae!?!

I think there seems to be evidence in the sunspot activity of recent months and the lengths of blank periods... that we are 'out of the trough' and maybe... just on the way out of solar minimum, but who knows???

it will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years considering that much of the technology and techniques (beyond visual observing records) is younger than one solar cycle....

i just hope we are on the way out as, while not interested in solar astronomy (beyond eclipses/transits), the investment is just too great...

I need a boost from a genuinely good auroral display.

Steve

[Capricorn]

As I understand it, we're coming towards the end of the Maunder (sp?) Minimum for solar activity, or it's end is possibly a little over due?

The Maunder minimum lasted from 1645 to 1715. So actually we have been out of it for 295 years.

Please don't ask if one weeks cold weather is a result of solar activity, the sun doesn't operate on weekly cycles, 10,000 years cycles maybe but not weekly. More likely to be something called "Weather".

[skye at night]

The current period HAS however been referred to as 'the new maunder minimum' due to the similarities of sorts.

Steve

[Talitha]

I need a boost from a genuinely good auroral display.

You too?

Ten years ago, i was going broke on film and processing, there were so many displays.

[Jamie]

the sun doesn't operate on weekly cycles, 10,000 years cycles maybe but not weekly. More likely to be something called "Weather".

Please feel free to correct me if i am wrong here but doesn't the sun have an 11 year cycle give or take the odd extended period of activity/inactivity?

[Talitha]

You're right, Jamie. Every 11 years the Sun flips its magnetic field, marking the peak of the maximum. With Feb 2001 marking the peak of Cycle 23, the peak of Cycle 24 is supposed to occur in 2012 but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

If anyone would like to do some independent research, look into Sir William Herschel 's sunspot studies -vs- the price of grain in London.

[lunator]

As i understand it.

The Sun had a Grand Maximum in 1985 and the trend in activity has been downwards ever since.

If the theory is right then we could be heading for a new Maunder Minimum and looking at the Sun in white light will be quite boring....

Cheers

Ian