{"id":41116,"date":"2019-12-09T07:47:28","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T11:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=41116"},"modified":"2019-12-09T07:47:28","modified_gmt":"2019-12-09T11:47:28","slug":"spotless-sun-about-to-set-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/spotless-sun-about-to-set-record\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotless sun about to set record"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Above: The blank sun on Dec. 8, 2019. Credit: NASA\/Solar Dynamics Observatory<\/p><\/div>\n

(Source: SpaceWeather.com<\/a> via Michael Bird)<\/p>\n

ONE WEEK FROM A SPACE AGE RECORD: 2019 is about to set a Space Age record. So far this year, the sun has been blank (no sunspots) for 261 days, including the last 24 days in a row. If the streak continues for only 7 more days, 2019 will break the Space Age record for spotless suns.<\/p>\n

The previous record-holder is the year 2008, when the sun was blank for 268 out of 365 days, making the Solar Minimum of 2008-2009 the deepest of the Space Age. Next weekend, barring a sudden profusion of sunspots, 2019 will move into first place.<\/p>\n

Solar Minimum is a normal part of the 11-year sunspot cycle. The past two (2008-2009 and 2018-2019) have been long and deep, making them “century-class” Minima. To find a year with more blank suns, you have to go back to 1913, which had 311 spotless days.
\nWhat are the side-effects of Solar Minimum? On one hand, solar flares and geomagnetic storms subside, making it harder to catch Northern Lights at mid-latitudes. Space weather grows “quiet.” On the other hand, cosmic rays intensify. The sun’s weakening magnetic field allows more particles from deep space into the solar system, boosting radiation levels in Earth’s atmosphere. Indeed, this is happening right now with cosmic rays nearing a Space Age record.
\nStay tuned for updates this week!<\/p>\n

www.spaceweather.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Source: SpaceWeather.com via Michael Bird) ONE WEEK FROM A SPACE AGE RECORD: 2019 is about to set a Space Age record. So far this year, the sun has been blank (no sunspots) for 261 days, including the last 24 days in a row. If the streak continues for only 7 more days, 2019 will break […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,810],"tags":[7554,4107,415,1127],"class_list":["post-41116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-space-weather","tag-michael-bird","tag-space-weather","tag-sun-spot-cycle","tag-sun-spots"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-aHa","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":41218,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/lack-of-sunspots-breaks-a-space-age-record\/","url_meta":{"origin":41116,"position":0},"title":"Lack of Sunspots Breaks a Space Age Record","author":"Troy Riedel","date":"December 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Another [sun] spotless day on the sun. Spaceweather.com reports that today we surpassed the largest number of spotless days (270) of the previous 2008 Solar Minimum cycle. The current spotless streak stands at 33 days and is quite possibly on its way to surpass the previous longest streak of this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space Weather"","block_context":{"text":"Space Weather","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/space-weather\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Sun-Spotless-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":31835,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/05\/sunspots-are-in-short-supply-and-its-only-getting-worse\/","url_meta":{"origin":41116,"position":1},"title":"Sunspots are in short supply (and it’s only getting worse)","author":"Thomas","date":"May 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Unfortunately, this is not news to brighten your day. According to Spaceweather.com, sunspots are disappearing faster than expected: Sunspots are becoming scarce. Very scarce. So far in 2018 the sun has been blank almost 60% of the time, with whole weeks going by without sunspots. Today's sun, shown here in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/SunSpots-None.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/SunSpots-None.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/SunSpots-None.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/SunSpots-None.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19735,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/06\/some-scientists-believe-sun-may-be-crossing-into-magnetic-middle-age\/","url_meta":{"origin":41116,"position":2},"title":"Some scientists believe sun may be crossing into “magnetic middle age”","author":"Thomas","date":"June 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I just received the following link to a Forbes article from my buddy Charlie (W4MEC). If this research turns out to be correct--and time will only tell--it could mean very low solar activity from here on out (let's hope not!): (Source: Forbes Magazine via Charlie W4MEC) The Sun has likely\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":" (SILSO data\/image, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/wolfjmms.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/wolfjmms.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/wolfjmms.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/wolfjmms.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40431,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/one-sunspot-into-solar-cycle-25\/","url_meta":{"origin":41116,"position":3},"title":"One sunspot into Solar Cycle 25","author":"Thomas","date":"November 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Spaceweather Archive via Michael Bird) Nov. 1, 2019:\u00a0Breaking a string of 28 spotless days, a new sunspot (AR2750) is emerging in the sun\u2019s southern hemisphere\u2013and it\u2019s a member of the next solar cycle. A picture of the sunspot is inset in this magnetic map of the sun\u2019s surface from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Susnapot-Cycle-25.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Susnapot-Cycle-25.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Susnapot-Cycle-25.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":30763,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/solar-minimum-a-relative-large-sunspot-makes-appearance\/","url_meta":{"origin":41116,"position":4},"title":"Solar Minimum: A “relatively large” sunspot makes appearance","author":"Thomas","date":"February 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Southgate ARC) With Solar Minimum right around the corner, sunspot counts are at an almost 10-year low. So it came as a surprise yesterday when a relatively large sunspot emerged near the sun's eastern limb. AR2699\u00a0has a primary dark core larger than Earth with many smaller magnetic condensations trailing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunspots","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Sunspot.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45455,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/nasa-video-the-solar-cycle-as-seen-from-space\/","url_meta":{"origin":41116,"position":5},"title":"NASA Video: The Solar Cycle as seen from space","author":"Thomas","date":"September 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave (K4SV), who shares this video courtesy of NASA Goddard: https:\/\/youtu.be\/Z0uIcLZ5rh8 The Sun is stirring from its latest slumber. 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