Mystery of the Missing Sunspots, Solved? 99
PRB_Ohio writes "The sun is in the middle of a century long solar minimum, and sunspots have been puzzlingly scarce for more than two years. Now, for the first time, solar physicists might understand why.
The gist is that there is a 'jet stream' like phenomenon about 7,000km below the surface of the sun. The streams migrate slowly from the poles to the equator and when a jet stream reaches the critical latitude of 22 degrees, new-cycle sunspots begin to appear.
Scientists at the National Solar Observatory (NSO) in Tucson, Arizona, used a technique called helioseismology to track and analyze the streams."
Puberty (Score:5, Funny)
Obligatory.. (Score:5, Funny)
What? (Score:2, Funny)
Ah, solar puberty . . . (Score:5, Funny)
So those coronal mass ejections we hear about were the Sun exploring . . . mmmnnnn never mind, I won't go there.
Re:Ah, solar puberty . . . (Score:4, Funny)
I have sunspots... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Old news (Score:5, Funny)
Its too early to tell yet, but cycle #24 is over 2 years late...
We're pregnant, aren't we.
Re:Old news (Score:2, Funny)
What the hell will Al Gore do?
Re:It's sort of refreshing... (Score:5, Funny)
I heard on the news today that the Australian Weather Service decided to stop calling it a drought because using the word drought implies it will end at some point and they don't see this ending anytime soon.
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Oh, shoot! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:"century-class solar minimum" (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Old news (Score:3, Funny)
Just enough time to fix global warming...
BTW, that must be a HUGE groundhog.
PS (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Oh, shoot! (Score:5, Funny)
what is this, soviet russia?!
Re:Ah, solar puberty . . . (Score:2, Funny)
So those coronal mass ejections we hear about were the Sun exploring . . .
uranus ?