I found a great web site for real-time tracking of changes in the Sun: Solar Cycle 24 (named after the next 11-year solar cycle which has yet to begin).
North Pole current Aurora:
From SolarCycle24.com:
The solar flux has reached a new low, now standing at 68. The last time it was this low was July 1997. There has now been nine days with a 0 sunspot number. Back in 1996 there was a period of about 3 months with no sunspots. Also that year the solar flux reached as low as 65. We will soon find out if we trend as low as 1996.
The solar wind is below 500 km/s. The chance of aurora will remain low.
The Blank Sun.
This web site supports claims that we are likely entering a period of cooling due to predicted weaker than usual 11-year cycles.
See David Archibald's paper about bold predictions of cooling in the next few decades: Past And Future of Climate
In this paper, My Archibald theorizes that, based upon the fact that Solar Cycle 23 is winding down slowly and the fact that sunspots from Solar Cycle 24 have not yet begun to appear, that that suggests that cycle 24 will be weaker than normal. And NASA announced that Solar Cycle 25 is also expected to be weak because of an apparent slow-down of the sun's "conveyor belt", which suggests that cycle 25 will be weak also. And see this post that he made to WarwickHuges.com by Mr. Archibald:
# David Archibald Says:
April 12th, 2007 at 2:46 am
Luke, this is your lucky day too. CO2-driven global warming in not totally wrong, but nearly so. It is only good for 0.3 degrees from here to eternity. Emissions to date are worth 0.1 degrees, there will be another 0.2 degrees to 620 ppm and then only a further 0.1 degrees to when the effect peters out due to the logarithmic effect you dread so much. Despite your bluster, you come across as a very sensitive soul who is bearing the troubles of the world, so sensitive in fact that you might be able to tell the difference between having your car’s air conditioner set a 21 degrees and having it at 22 degrees. But I very much doubt that you could detect a 0.4 degree difference. So there you are. CO2 is one less thing for you to worry about, because the effect is so miniscule.
Global Warming is a reversion to animism, but without the fertility rites. It is a tedious, killjoy religion.
My theory on Solar Cycle 24 will be proved correct in about three years. Until then, no amount of theorising will prove or disprove it. In the meantime, every day that passes without a sunspot from Solar Cycle 24 makes it more likely to be correct and increases the size of the temperature drop.
It is wonderful to be alive and in the middle of this vast experiment.