The Quietest Sun 227
Orbity sends in a Boston Globe report on the unusual calm on the surface of the sun. The photos, many taken in more active solar times, are excellent — see the sequence from last year of a coronal mass ejection carrying away the tail of a comet. "The Sun is now in the quietest phase of its 11-year activity cycle, the solar minimum — in fact, it has been unusually quiet this year — with over 200 days so far with no observed sunspots. The solar wind has also dropped to its lowest levels in 50 years. Scientists are unsure of the significance of this unusual calm..." As if to be contrary, New Scientist mentions that the number of sunspots seem to be increasing.
I know what's up. (Score:1, Funny)
We're all screwed...
the significance of this unusual calm (Score:5, Funny)
The sun is dying. Netcraft confirms it.
Re:I know what's up. (Score:2, Funny)
We're doomed! We're dooooooooooooooomed!
Re:I know what's up. (Score:4, Funny)
Re:the significance of this unusual calm (Score:1, Funny)
I guess the global warming reached out into space and made its impact there as well (Hey, Sun.. Calm down, I'm heating up!). The environmentalists will surely have a field day with this.
Re:I know what's up. (Score:4, Funny)
We're all screwed...
No. Now he got laid. Didn't u read he is unusual calm after mass ejection!!!
Ahh, the silence (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I know what's up. (Score:5, Funny)
dooooooooooooooooooooooooooomed!
(it's a Futurama joke...)
It just sneaks up on you and ... (Score:4, Funny)
... burns you to a crisp... now it's in a calm state... but it's waiting, taunting us with massive flares... during the so called calm period there was that really big flare on 20080929... yikes... crispy... Sol... stay cool...
Re:Taking pictures of the sun? (Score:1, Funny)
Chicken talk!
A ninja would train himself to endure the pain, by looking directly into the sun for hours every day. Eventually he would develop a natural immunity also know as HPEC ( Horribly Painfull Eye Cancer ).
And that is pretty much it. >> ...
Fewer sunspots (Score:5, Funny)
Re:have the 'wars' endead? (Score:0, Funny)
crisis (Score:4, Funny)
People, pray to your favorite deity for more sun spots!
The significance? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:have the 'wars' endead? (Score:3, Funny)
Apparently
Who's to blame? (Score:5, Funny)
Come on! We must be able to link this to some kind of human activity!
Sure, Sol might be a pretty quiet Sun... (Score:2, Funny)
.. but the Sparc 1 in my basement is damn silent, I tell you.
Ah but you do! (Score:1, Funny)
If, even after you've gone blind, you continue to stare at the sun, then you WILL get cancer.
But what you do is you stand around drums of chemicals until they spill into your eyes and give you a tremendous sense of hearing.
Re:Astronomy sun filters. (Score:1, Funny)
Please state the nature of your inquisitive emergency...
Re:Taking pictures of the sun? (Score:2, Funny)
Its perfectly safe, but only if you do it at night.
Re:Who's to blame? (Score:2, Funny)
c'mon, isn't it obvious? It is yet another result of global warming.
Re:Cycle 24 spot seen (Score:5, Funny)
cycle 24 is late. What does it mean?
The sun's pregnant, that's what it means.
Re:Must Be Global Warming (Score:2, Funny)
Re:It just sneaks up on you and ... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:I know what's up. (Score:5, Funny)
I keep seeing all these comments on the blog about all that He has done for us, what He has bestowed upon us, that He has given us this sun for light and heat and beauty...
I really think H should get more of the credit though. He is merely a byproduct.
I congratulate you, sir (Score:3, Funny)
+5 informative for "RTFA", outstanding!