Solar Cycle 24 May Have Finally Begun

xyz writes "NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center reports that the number of sunspots in October for Solar Cycle 24 outnumbered Solar Cycle 23 for the first time, indicating the start of a new solar cycle. Solar activity was observed to be at a 50-year low, with no sunspots for 200 days this year."

so how does it affect our weather

[Anonymous Coward]

so does this mean more incident solar radiation or less?

Re:so how does it affect our weather

[swordfishBob]

It means significant bursts of solar radiation, but reductions in other extraterrestrial radiation as it gets "blown" away by the solar surges.

Re:

[OeLeWaPpErKe]

it 'should' mean more.

Re:

[Ethanol-fueled]

No, he's going easy on us, with global warming and all.

Re:

[SausageOfDoom]

It's is "it is". I believe you meant to use the possessive form, which would be "its".

Re:

[rugatero]

It's is "it is".

Bravo to whoever modded this 'Redundant'.

How much did FOX have to pay for this?

[Anonymous Coward]

This is clearly an advertising ploy for 24's return on November 23.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

He'll be traveling west throughout the day so that he can keep an eye on the Sun at all times.

The Sun doesn't set on Jack Bauer, Jack Bauer sets on the Sun.

Only cycle 24?

[syousef]

I observe solar cycles every day - the sun rises, then it sets. I'm pretty sure it's happened more than 24 times!!!

(For those that need a clue bat, the above is a joke and I do know what a solar cycle is).

Re:Only cycle 24?

[Ostracus]

"(For those that need a clue bat, the above is a joke and I do know what a solar cycle is)."

A solar-powered human on a bicycle.

Re:

[VeNoM0619]

Solar Cycle 24 May Have Finally Begun

In other news...
Drinking water may cause cancer.
Looking at the sun may cause blindness.

This report brought to you by the Ministry of Uncertainty.

Clearing up the uncertainty

[Mister_Stoopid]

>Drinking water may cause cancer.
>Looking at the sun may cause blindness.

Well, my research indicates that nearly 100% of cancer victims were water drinkers, while only a statistically insignificant percentage of visually challenged individuals admit to staring into the sun. So there you have it, drinking water does cause cancer, and looking at the sun does not cause blindness.

Thats right. Solar Cycle 24.

[gandhi_2]

Is your software SC24-compliant?

re:new sun cycle

[Anonymous Coward]

Barack Obama is already fixing things!

Re:

[aliquis]

Clearly no representation of black people by eliminating all the dark spots of the sun was racist.

I for one welcome our pimpled sun overlord.

Re:

[gearloos]

actually, you idiot, the black spots ARE the sun spots. So... if anything he would be starting to bring in NEW black spots. Jesus, if your gonna be a racist, at least be an informed racist.

Re:

[aliquis]

I wonder who is the idiot when the sun have had zero spots for 200 days ...

Re:

[MBGMorden]

In all seriousness, I did overhear a group of guys at the service station pointing to the falling gas prices as an immediate example of the great things Obama is already doing for our country.

Yes, but....

[DesScorp]

Barack Obama is already fixing things!

That's not the sun in the sky. That is Barack Obama, shining down warmth, love, and hope upon us.

Re:

[duckInferno]

Could be that. Could also be the whole not-funny thing that put them off.

24?

[emart]

someone get jack bauer to beat the crap outta the sun.

Re:

[hachi-control]

You misunderstand, that's what makes it funny.

Re:

[loafula]

No, no, no, no, no! That's what made it funny. It's not funny any more, at least not until it becomes funny again.

Effect on climate...

[dtjohnson]

From the article: "There is also the matter of solar irradiance," adds Pesnell. "Researchers are now seeing the dimmest sun in their records. The change is small, just a fraction of a percent, but significant. Questions about effects on climate are natural if the sun continues to dim."

Even with the new sunspots of cycle 24, the sun is becoming...dimmer. "Dim sun" is the new climate buzzword for 2009 to replace 'greenhouse effect.'

Re:

[Robin47]

somebody fix the dimmer switch please.

Re:Effect on climate...

[Walkingshark]

"Dim sun" is the new climate buzzword for 2009 to replace 'greenhouse effect.'

I prefer Mongolian Beef myself.

Re:

[Roskolnikov]

Dim sum sounds better.

Re:

[Progman3K]

I thought Dim Sum referred to the bill they brought you at the end...

Re:

[dtjohnson]

So...I'm guessin that you don't have any questions about the effect of the sun on climate.

It's the economic crisis

[Gabest]

And the worst is yet to come. So they say. Expect even less sun spots next year.

It is a very important issue to communication

[gearloos]

The sun works on an 11 year cycle. There is also other smaller cycles that run in this. One is a 28 day cycle. These are very important to long range (and short range) communication. Ham(amateur) radio is very influenced(as well as commercial) by this. I am not going to try and explain the whole thing here but try this link for anone that would like to learn more about the sloar flux index, k index, a index etc.. http://www.radio-electronics.com/info/propagation/ionospheric/radio-propagation-prediction-solar-indices.php [radio-electronics.com]

Re:It is a very important issue to communication

[Bemopolis]

The sun works on an 11 year cycle. There is also other smaller cycles that run in this. One is a 28 day cycle. These are very important to long range (and short range) communication.

I can name another 28-day cycle that affects communication. It largely results in a short-range information transfer that everything is my fault.

Re:

[drik00]

Holy shnikes! Women *do* post on /. ... always thought that was an urban legend.

J

Re:

[vhfer]

Woohoo! Six meters here I come. 73 de N9QQB

Solar Cycle

[rossdee]

Obviously there are practical problems in mounting an array of PV cells on a bicycle, but a tricycle would be better.

However I think that a better idea would be batteries powering the vehicle, andstations where you park them, with PV cells on the roof.

At last, bring on the sun spots.

[Anonymous Coward]

As a sysadmin this sun spot drought has been crippling us. Without the sun spot excuse we have been forced to actually admit that things are broken and get off our arse and fix them.

Phew!

[Anonymous Coward]

For a moment I was worried the sun is pregnant!

Re:

[metamechanical]

That would be HOT! (thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week)

All over? Or just in spots?

[fotoguzzi]

Can we detect or estimate the number of sunspots on the far side of the sun?

Re:All over? Or just in spots?

[cnettel]

The sun rotates, although with quit different speeds at the equator and the poles. For a period of 200 days, we will also get to see most of it (independently of the rotation). Unless one poses there is something very different about the side facing the Earth, no matter what "side" that is, the tendency should be quite clear. (I also think there are some space-based probes that are relevant here, but I am not sure whether any of them images the full "opposite side" of the sun regularly.)

Re:

[Software Geek]

The sun rotates every 25-36 days.
The different rotation rates of different parts is what causes sunspots.
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/sun/Solar_interior/Sun_layers/differential_rotation.html [ucar.edu]

Re:

[teridon]

The MDI instrument on SOHO can image the far side of the sun using helioseismology. See
http://soi.stanford.edu/press/farside_Feb2006/web/ [stanford.edu]

Coincidence? I think not.

[chord.wav]

This is obviously another Fox marketing stunt for the new 24 season.

Not trying to launch a global warming debate but

[Progman3K]

During the past year, the arctic ice stopped receding and the layers of ice that usually form when winter arrives in the northern hemisphere were early. Consequently, global-warming debunkers were pointing at this as proof that global warming is not real.

My contention is that the solar-minimum caused the trend-reversal.

It will be interesting to see how the polar ice-caps and ice-sheets will fare during the next year, now that the sun has resumed (hopefully) its normal cycle.

Sun Spots and Space Weather

[NotNormallyNormal]

This is a bit of a relief for those of us who study space weather and aurora and what not. It is hard to study things when they don't appear... There has been very little aurora or interesting weather in the last couple of years. Of course, studying the quiet time is important too... just not as interesting! Check out NOAA Space Weather [noaa.gov] for more information on space weather in the current solar conditions.

20m

[Nethead]

I've noticed 20m (14MHz) has been fairly open the last few weeks. I have made contacts in Japan four times in the last week or so from my mobile HF rig (FT-857 and ATAS-120 on a small pick-up truck.)

CQ DX, CQ DX, CQ DX de W7COM

73