solar activity

[scallywag]

I've read this morning that the solar activity is the lowest since 55 years and that spots on the Sun are disappearing... Some scientiscts belive that means cold, cold, very cold. It happened three times in the past: Sporer minimum (1420-1570), Maunder minimum (1645-1715) and Dalton minimum (1790-1830).

The question is do we need to prepare for the Little Ice Age?

 

[HillBill]

I've read this morning that the solar activity is the lowest since 55 years and that spots on the Sun are disappearing... Some scientiscts belive that means cold, cold, very cold. It happened three times in the past: Sporer minimum (1420-1570), Maunder minimum (1645-1715) and Dalton minimum (1790-1830).

The question is do we need to prepare for the Little Ice Age?

I don't think so. The sun is supposed to enter its solar maxim in 2012.

However, the people who watch the sun have noted the lack of sunspot activity and are becoming increasingly worried as the new solar cycle "should" have begun, but has not. Not long ago the saw new sun spots, but they were travelling the opposite way around the sun to the old. This means the start of a new cycle, but the spots have stopped.

TBH they don't have a bloody clue whats going on because the sun was not monitored on any of the dates given, at least not in any way that sunspots can be detected

 

[locum76]

So much for the sun being an influencing factor on global warming then. Perhaps, now, more folk will believe that global warming IS anthropogenic.

 

[xylaria]

Don't worry your pretty little head about it, humans have been warmer and cooler than now.

 

[HillBill]

So much for the sun being an influencing factor on global warming then. Perhaps, now, more folk will believe that global warming IS anthropogenic.

Yeah its just a natural trend that the media etc are hyping up and playing on. Typical fear mongery. As Laria says it has been hotter and colder and will continue to be so.

They just haven't seen this much change since they started monitoring, they always try get leverage to their side for whatever.

We are causing this so we must do this to stop it etc..........just manipulation.

 

[VirusKiller]

The internal workings of stars are actually quite poorly understood (and I speak as someone with an MSc in Astronomy). Given the interaction between sun and earth, the decision to cut UK solar-terrestrial physics research funding is quite astonishing.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Mini ice age? Nah, global warming will counteract it and balance it out. We need to burn more fossil fuel!

 

[scallywag]

Global warming needs the Sun

 

[BorderReiver]

Given that the Sun is more than a few million years old and will maintain it's present state for many more millions of years and that we could do sod all about it if it switched off, I don't think there's any need for us to panic.

 

[HillBill]

The internal workings of stars are actually quite poorly understood (and I speak as someone with an MSc in Astronomy). Given the interaction between sun and earth, the decision to cut UK solar-terrestrial physics research funding is quite astonishing.

I bet there is a reason for it though.

 

[gregorach]

I've read this morning that the solar activity is the lowest since 55 years and that spots on the Sun are disappearing... Some scientiscts belive that means cold, cold, very cold. It happened three times in the past: Sporer minimum (1420-1570), Maunder minimum (1645-1715) and Dalton minimum (1790-1830).

The question is do we need to prepare for the Little Ice Age?

The solar minimum was last year. While it's certainly been a very quiet cycle so far, there have been sunspots in the new cycle, as evidenced by their reversed magnetic polarity. The first sunspot of the new cycle was sighted several months ago (the 4th of January to be precise).

There is no correlation between variations in total solar irradiance and average global temperature over the last 50 years.

The "Little Ice Age" was almost certainly a regional, rather than global, phenomenon, most likely caused by variations in ocean currents in the North Atlantic.

Never trust anything you read in the papers about science (well, except Ben Goldacre's Bad Science column) - they tend to get it horribly, horribly wrong.

 

[Wayland]

Given that the Sun is more than a few million years old and will maintain it's present state for many more millions of years and that we could do sod all about it if it switched off, <Snip

So we can't claim on the guarantee then.....

 

[BorderReiver]

So we can't claim on the guarantee then.....

No, but has Sir considered purchasing our excellent extended warranty?

 

[VirusKiller]

I bet there is a reason for it though.

Politics...

 

[HillBill]

Politics...

Aye, keep what they know to themselves.

 

[wanderingblade]

Simple answer - the sun's having a sulk.

Ever since Pluto was downgraded from Planet status making our sun a mere 8 plamet solar system it has lost some standing in the intergalactic community, lost some of it's influence and is generally feeling a little deflated.

It will get over it.

 

[Bravo4]

My understanding is that the next solar maximun could cause problems with electronic and communication devices, powergrids, satellites, etc. The last solar max caused at least one major blackout, in Canada I think it was. I don't think climate will be affected but we sure have come to depend on devices that may be. Hardly the end of the world but could be interesting. Also will be a time of increased Auroras and at lower latitudes, cool.

Fellow astronomy nerds or norms who want to learn a little more will certainly find this website useful: http://www.spaceweather.com/

I'd say astronomy is VERY MUCH a part of Bushcraft, not sunspots exactly or looking through telescopes. It is directly related to navigation, and many indirect aspects which I am not quite clever enough to write of. Naked eye astronomy or even small binos; useful and a whole lotta fun. Astronomy is one of those things were the more you learn and understand, the more fascinating it becomes. If nothing else, an excuse to go outside and play.