Unusual Solar Activity

Hello there,

I've heard in a news report that there is some 'unusual' or anomalous
activity being observed in the current sun spot cycle, does anyone know
anything about this, its
deviations, causes or possible consequences?

I was under the impression that the current phase of the Sun is stable and
will be for a very long time. Can this mean that current theories about the
structure and life-cycle of the Sun may be wrong?

Thanks in advance,

O'Ryan Wells.

"O'Ryan Wells" wrote in message
...
Hello there,

I've heard in a news report that there is some 'unusual' or anomalous
activity being observed in the current sun spot cycle, does anyone know
anything about this, its
deviations, causes or possible consequences?

I was under the impression that the current phase of the Sun is stable
and
will be for a very long time. Can this mean that current theories about
the
structure and life-cycle of the Sun may be wrong?

Thanks in advance,

O'Ryan Wells.

I know Mars is all very exciting just now, but can anyone answer my question
please? I am not a kook, just an former Industrial Chemist trying to keep up
with other fields.

I also know that I am new to the group, should that really matter?

O'Ryan Wells.

On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 15:06:24 +0000 (UTC), "O'Ryan Wells"
wrote:

Hello there,

I've heard in a news report that there is some 'unusual' or anomalous
activity being observed in the current sun spot cycle, does anyone know
anything about this, its
deviations, causes or possible consequences?

The sun has a roughly 11 year sunspot and activity cycle. Sometimes
it is a little longer, sometimes slightly less than 11 years. The
current cycle peaked at least a year ago, and normally the sun quiets
down slowly to minimum activity some 5 years or so from now.
However, the sun has been unusually active. There are more sunspots
that expected, and some of the largest solar flares on record have
occured during the last few months. Since the solar cycle is not
necessarily fixed, this activity may be nothing more than a "burp" in
the grand scheme of things. While the sun is a reasonably stable
star, it does experience some variability, very small compared to the
stars we classify as variable. It is probably related to the magnetic
fields generated deep in the sun, since the cycle is accompanied by a
flipping of the solar magnetic field. If so, then most if not all
stars may behave in a similar fashion.


Kapella

Sorry, I haven't heard anything about it. I seriously doubt there's
anything to it, though.

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 14:27:00 +0000, O'Ryan Wells wrote:


"O'Ryan Wells" wrote in message
...
Hello there,

I've heard in a news report that there is some 'unusual' or anomalous
activity being observed in the current sun spot cycle, does anyone know
anything about this, its
deviations, causes or possible consequences?

I was under the impression that the current phase of the Sun is stable
and
will be for a very long time. Can this mean that current theories about
the
structure and life-cycle of the Sun may be wrong?

Thanks in advance,


I know Mars is all very exciting just now, but can anyone answer my
question please? I am not a kook, just an former Industrial Chemist
trying to keep up with other fields.

I also know that I am new to the group, should that really matter?

Welcome to the group.

The sunspot cycle on average lasts for 11 years but it actually varies a
lot. Records of the past 300 years show that the individual cycle can last
from 9 to 17 years. The present cycle, by the 11 years rule should have
peaked a year ago & now the sunspot numbers should be falling. However,
there is nothing unusual if the cycle lasts a year or two longer, thus
peaking in 2003.

Sun is in a stable state, but that means it is hotting up slowly. It will
be 10% hotter in about 100 million years from now. Quite stable I would
think :-)

--

Gautam Majumdar

Please send e-mails to

Sunspot activity is currently trending downward, as expected. It's just
that a few individual spikes of activity have produced large sunspots and
CMEs. Nothing that unusual about it.

http://science.nasa.gov/ssl/pad/solar/sunspots.htm




"O'Ryan Wells" wrote in message
...

"O'Ryan Wells" wrote in message
...
Hello there,

I've heard in a news report that there is some 'unusual' or anomalous
activity being observed in the current sun spot cycle, does anyone know
anything about this, its
deviations, causes or possible consequences?

I was under the impression that the current phase of the Sun is stable
and
will be for a very long time. Can this mean that current theories about
the
structure and life-cycle of the Sun may be wrong?

Thanks in advance,

O'Ryan Wells.

I know Mars is all very exciting just now, but can anyone answer my
question
please? I am not a kook, just an former Industrial Chemist trying to keep
up
with other fields.

I also know that I am new to the group, should that really matter?

O'Ryan Wells.

Everything is normal. Some news organizations have been saying that
the large solar flare and mass ejection events of the last few months
are abnormal. They are incorrect. The strongest flares of the last
several cycles have come on the "trailing" edge of the solar cycle,
when the number of sunspots observed per year is decreasing. That is
what is happening here as well.

Gautam Majumdar wrote:

The sunspot cycle on average lasts for 11 years but it actually varies a
lot. Records of the past 300 years show that the individual cycle can last
from 9 to 17 years.

Well, I'm afraid that the range in cycle lengths isn't quite that long, at
least on the cycles which we have good data on. The shortest numbered cycle
is Cycle #2 (began in 1766) at 9.00 years, and the longest is Cycle #4 (began
in 1784) at 13.67 years. The average length for all the numbered cycles (1
through 22) is 10.98 years. Clear skies to you.
--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

**********************************************
* Attend the 11th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY *
* July 18-23, 2004, Merritt Reservoir *
* http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org *
**********************************************

"Edward Smith" wrote in message
...
Everything is normal. Some news organizations have been saying that
the large solar flare and mass ejection events of the last few months
are abnormal. They are incorrect. The strongest flares of the last
several cycles have come on the "trailing" edge of the solar cycle,
when the number of sunspots observed per year is decreasing. That is
what is happening here as well.


Thank you all for clarifying the matter, I generally tend to treat press
reports with a high degree of scepticism, I will continue to do so.

When is the current cycle due to end, approximately?

O'Ryan Wells.

When is the current cycle due to end, approximately?

O'Ryan Wells.


It is a bit variable, but we are a couple of years into the decline.
The bottom should be in another 3-4 years. Check out the Space
Environment Center at:

http://www.sec.noaa.gov/

or Spaceweather.Com at:

http://www.spaceweather.com/

Both are very interesting.