Monday, July 30, 2007
Sunspots at low ebb - film at 11
The sun is now at the low point in its eleven year sunspot cycle, which turns out to be something that people have been tracking a long time and which has proven to be incredibly regular since the 18th century. (It was probably just as regular earlier on, but as NASA notes, the earlier data is less reliable.) (Image credit: NASA)
I suppose it’s no great surprise that a solar phenomenon has great regularity over a trivial length of time, in solar terms. It’s a complex system, and I suppose it’s no more remarkable that sunspots appear regularly than it is that water percolates at a predictable rate into hot spots in the earth’s surface to produce Old Faithful.
Still, it’s nice to know that one more thing in the universe is going on quite well without our help.
One commentator from the glass is half empty school points out that being at the trough of the cycle means that things will just be getting worse, in terms of increased communications interference. Personally, I’m hoping it means I’ll finally get a chance to get North and see a serious Aurora Borealis. Better do it this cycle – can’t count on being too mobile in the next one.
I suppose it’s no great surprise that a solar phenomenon has great regularity over a trivial length of time, in solar terms. It’s a complex system, and I suppose it’s no more remarkable that sunspots appear regularly than it is that water percolates at a predictable rate into hot spots in the earth’s surface to produce Old Faithful.
Still, it’s nice to know that one more thing in the universe is going on quite well without our help.
One commentator from the glass is half empty school points out that being at the trough of the cycle means that things will just be getting worse, in terms of increased communications interference. Personally, I’m hoping it means I’ll finally get a chance to get North and see a serious Aurora Borealis. Better do it this cycle – can’t count on being too mobile in the next one.
