[ChessExpert]

You read a chart better than Steve Lanor. But I still don't think you have it exactly right.

2008 is in second place. 2007 is in ninth place. 2009 is not on the chart.

[gusopol3]

” 2009 is not on the chart”

But it should be : 166 and counting ;73% spot free days; 24 straight days;http://spaceweather.com/

This was after the experts said the minimum was ending and there was a theory for it:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618131402.htm

[AFPhys]

As I type, 2009 is at 167 days spotless... with over 60% of the year still to be tabulated. See spaceweather.com, or another solar site to download the raw data.

[AFPhys]

Ah... shoot... I should have mentioned two other things:

1. 1996 had 165 spotless days.
2. The last few years the spot counters have used magnifying glasses and have been counting “Tiny Tims”, “pores” which would not have been seen in 1900, and may not have been or counted as little as a decade or two ago when the satellite monitoring was not available with its lack of optical effects introduced by the atmosphere. It is highly likely that the counts now are substantially higher due to this counting of pores.