Tag Archives: solar activity

Implications of Solar Predictions

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Solar predictions bring heat and light

by Richard Black, Environment Correspondent
Sun observed by the Soho satelliteThe Sun appears to be calming but that does not necessarily mean cooling on Earth

Over the last few years, the politics of climate change have been amply forged in the fires of a changeable Sun.

And the story is here again, in the form of research unveiled this week at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Physics Division in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The solar science, described graphically in a Discover Magazine post – “an east/west river of gas” which “flows under the surface of the Sun” that can’t be seen directly but which is inferred from “sound waves that travel from it to the surface” – is fascinating.

And what it suggests is that the Sun appears set to quieten further over the next solar cycle than it already has – with lower sunspot activity, and perhaps marginally lower energy output.

But as to the implications on Earth – well, for anyone who’s followed this story for a while, they’re very familiar, and the telling of them is laced with equally familiar political overtones.

to read more, go to:   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13792479

 

Solar Weather Patterns in Flux

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HOW’S THE WEATHER? “Lately, the Sun has been behaving a bit strangely,” declare Lika Guhathakurtha (NASA) and Dan Baker (U. Colorado) on the opinions page of yesterday’s New York Times. In 2008-2009, solar activity plunged to a hundred-year low; and now that the sun is waking up again, no one is able to predict what will happen next. “Will solar activity continue to be sluggish, or will solar storms return with pent-up vigor?” they ask. Good question!

to read the editorial, go to:    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/opinion/17baker.html?_r=1

Superfast Waves found on the Sun

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Solar Dynamics Observatory detects superfast solar waves moving at 2,000 km/sec

June 15, 2011

Solar Dynamics Observatory detects superfast solar waves moving at 2,000 km/secEnlarge

(a) 171 Ĺ image showing the funnel and loop in which fast waves propagate. (b) 1600 Ĺ image showing flare ribbons. (c) 171 Ĺ base difference image showing dimming behind the CME front. The four brackets mark the smaller FOV of the other panels. (d)-(f ) 171 Ĺ running difference images showing successive wave fronts propagating in the funnel. The three curved cuts are used to obtain space-time diagrams shown in Fig. 2. The square box marks the region for Fourier analysis in Fig.4. (g)-(i) Images of (d)-(f ) in the boxed region Fourier filtered with a narrow Gaussian centered at the peak in Fig. 4(b) at frequency ν = 14.5 mHz (P = 69 s) and wave number k = 9.0 × 10-3 Mm -1 (λ = 110 Mm), which highlight the corresponding fast wave trains.

(PhysOrg.com) — Scientists using the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument on board NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), have detected quasi-periodic waves in the low solar corona that travel at speeds as high as 2,000 kilometers per second (4.5 million miles per hour). These observations provide, for the first time, unambiguous evidence of propagating fast mode magnetosonic waves at such high speeds in the Sun’s low atmosphere

to read more go to:    http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-solar-dynamics-observatory-superfast-kmsec.html

Drop in Solar Activity Predicted

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Sun’s Fading Spots Signal Big Drop in Solar Activity

by Denise Chow, SPACE.com Staff Writer
Date: 14 June 2011 Time: 03:50 PM ET

Some unusual solar readings, including fading sunspots and weakening magnetic activity near the poles, could be indications that our sun is preparing to be less active in the coming years.

The results of three separate studies seem to show that even as the current sunspot cycle swells toward the solar maximum, the sun could be heading into a more-dormant period, with activity during the next 11-year sunspot cycle greatly reduced or even eliminated.

to read more, go to:    http://www.space.com/11960-fading-sunspots-slower-solar-activity-solar-cycle.html

New Info on Sunspots Due Tuesday

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‘Major Result’ on Sunspot Cycle to be Announced Tuesday

by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer
Date: 10 June 2011 Time: 05:00 PM ET
A photo of a sunspot taken in May 2010, with Earth shown to scale. The image has been colorized for aesthetic reasons. This image with 0.1 arcsecond resolution from the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope represents the limit of what is currently possible in te
A photo of a sunspot taken in May 2010, with Earth shown to scale. The image has been colorized for aesthetic reasons. This image with 0.1 arcsecond resolution from the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope represents the limit of what is currently possible in terms of spatial resolution.
CREDIT: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, V.M.J. Henriques (sunspot), NASA Apollo 17 (Earth)

Astronomers will unveil a “major result” on Tuesday (June 14) regarding the sun’s 11-year sunspot cycle.

The announcement will be made at a solar physics conference in New Mexico, according to an alert released today (June 10) by the American Astronomical Society. The discussion will begin at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT).

Sunspots are blotches on the sun that appear dark because they are significantly cooler than the rest of the solar surface. While they look small from our vantage point on Earth, these enigmatic structures can be huge — up to 30,000 miles (48,280 kilometers) across, or as wide as the planet Neptune. Sunspots last for a few days or weeks before dissipating. [Photos: Sunspots on Earth’s Star]

to read more, go to: http://www.space.com/11936-sun-weather-sunspot-cycle-announcement-preview.html

Solar Prominences

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fr/spaceweather.com

SOLAR ACTIVITY: The chance of strong solar flares today is low, but the chance of giant prominences is 100%. Mike Borman photographed this one from his backyard observatory in Evansville, Indiana:

“A number of giant prominences are dancing around the limb of the sun,” he reports. “They have beautifully intricate shapes.”

Prominences are tendrils of hot plasma held aloft by solar magnetic fields. Today’s are big enough to see with ease using no more than backyard solar telescopes. Where should you point your optics? Targets of interest may be found in a full-disk photo taken by Borman.

 

Correlation – Geomagnetic Storm & Earthquakes?

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Geomagnetic storm to slam planet on Wednesday, earthquake frequency to rise

Published on June 7, 2011 8:50 pm PT
– By Jim Duran – Writer
– Article Editor and Approved – Warren Miller


Click for larger image

(TheWeatherSpace.com) — NOAA is warning of a geomagnetic storm sometime on Wednesday, which may knock communications and grids in some locations.

The Sun released a moderate-classed solar flare (M2) on Tuesday. This flare was a different kind because it started out slow, then the sun blasted it off like a volcanic eruption.

Satellites recorded this rare event (Video Here).

“This is the type of time where people should have their earthquake kits handy,” TWS Senior Meteorologist Kevin Martin said. “There isn’t much evidence, but it is a growing fact that solar storms trigger earthquakes here on Earth. Peru just had a magnitude-6.0 earthquake, and this usually means Baja and California are next in line.”

Meteorologists are against Martin for his belief and stance that solar storms trigger earthquakes, but there is a growing amount of eyes that are being opened to the possibility it may actually hold weight.

fr/http://www.theweatherspace.com/news/TWS-06_07_2011_geoquake.html