Scientists solve mystery of disappearing sunspots

Yahoo ^ | 3/2/11 | Laura Zuckerman - Reuters

[NormsRevenge]

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – A trio of top solar scientists said on Wednesday they had solved the mystery behind the disappearance of sunspots, a phenomenon that has stumped astrophysicists worldwide for more than two centuries.

The research, which will be published on Thursday in the journal Nature, shows that unusually weak magnetic fields on the sun paired with reduced solar activity cause sunspots to disappear.

Sunspots appear to the human eye as dark spots on the sun, some as wide as 49,000 miles, according to NASA. They are caused by intense magnetic activity, or storms, on the sun's surface, which is plasma. Sunspots often emit particles into space which are known as solar flares.

Sunspots went missing from 2008 to 2010 in a rare occurrence that first was reported in 1810.

Although it is well documented that the sun goes through regular 11-year cycles of high and low solar activity, sunspots are not prone to disappear for an extended period, the researchers said.

"Understanding sunspots is important because solar activities influence space weather, which affects technology in space and on the earth," Montana State University solar physicist Piet Martens, who conducted the study with two other scientists, said in a statement.

[FrankR]

Whew! That's good news...for a minute I thought algore had confiscated them to strengthen his global warming theories.

But, he's probably still in Florida...where there is no snow.

[norton]

Sunspots appear to the human eye as dark spots on the sun,

Don't try this at home kids.

[Interesting Times]

...unusually weak magnetic fields on the sun paired with reduced solar activity cause sunspots to disappear.

It also forces global warming to produce cold weather and heavy snow, against both its will and better judgment.

[The Cajun]

Don't try this at home kids.

Ya think the authoress, Laura Zuckerman, may not be a deep thinker :^)

[SubMareener]

WOW! Here I thought that when the sunspots disappeared they caused weak magnetic fields and reduced solar activity and it was the other way around! ;-)

[EGPWS]

Sunspots went missing from 2008 to 2010 in a rare occurrence that first was reported in 1810.

They didn't tax the disappearance back in 1810.

That mistake won't occur this time around.

[samtheman]

Low Flow Toilets

[HP8753]

They are caused by intense magnetic activity, or storms, on the sun's surface

The sun has a surface ??? Who knew !! Maybe Cynthia KcKinney can land and plant a flag there.

[Leo Carpathian]

Apparently Jupiter's orbit has some effect on intensity of sunspots. Remember 1958 maximum, working the world on 10m around the clock, with Wehrmacht tank radio, 10W into a piece of wire on AM. No mo' since.
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[Verginius Rufus]

Either this story is excerpted, or NASA is falling down on the job. I don't see any praise for Muslim contributions to science there.

They also left out the part blaming George W. Bush for the sunspot shortage. If he had just ratified the Kyoto Protocols, everything would be fine...

[randog]

Sunspots appear to the human eye as dark spots on the sun...

Whew! And I thought it was just my eyeballs frying!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks NormsRevenge.

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[SunkenCiv]

Thanks NormsRevenge.

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[Islander7]

[Enough is ENOUGH]

Sunspots disappearing:

More proof of global warming...

[JAKraig]

Apparently Jupiter's orbit has some effect on intensity of sunspots. Remember 1958 maximum,

______________________________________________________

You sir are correct. Why NASA doesn't know this is impossible for me to understand. Since the Sun is not a solid ball but more like a liquid cauldron, the orbiting planets pull and tug at it like the moon and sun do on earths oceans causing tides. When the large planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus line up together they really do a number on stirring up the sun and then we get plenty of magnetic fields getting twisted all over the place. When they hit the upper levels of the sun we see sunspots from these magnetic whirlpools.

When the major planets are more evenly dispersed in their orbits they don't create quite so much havoc and the sun is calmer. There is a regular cycle of between 172 and 178 years that these extreems happen.

We are now in the doldrums, so to speak. With the less energetic sun magnetic fields the earth is left to bask uninterrupted in the cosmic rays from all over the universe. Cosmic rays that would be swept up by the energetic field of the sun can now make it into the atmosphere and collide with molecules in the lower atmosphere and help to create clouds. Clouds shield the earth from sunshine and reflect it back out into space. Volia, global cooling.

There is a lot I haven't covered but basically this is the story and it has been known now by science for over a decade. Why NASA would make such a silly announcement is beyond me.

[Rocky]

...unusually weak magnetic fields on the sun paired with reduced solar activity cause sunspots to disappear.

Next question: What causes "unusually weak magnetic fields on the sun paired with reduced solar activity?"

[Leo Carpathian]

Another effect of low sunspots is that ionosphere and atmosphere shrink, creating thinner layer, making weather changes more extreme.
More involved hams know this stuff.
Looks like scientwists prefer to suck money for Don Quixote projects and produce “results” favorable for tax sucking scams.

[The Great RJ]

Certainly due to global warming and Bush’s fault.