May 12, 2008 by kb3ljm.

Again this week, we saw a new, but brief sunspot, sunspot 993. Judging from the polarity of the spot, it looks to be from new Solar Cycle 24; this spot was south of the solar equator, so it has the same polarity as any Cycle 23 spot that was north of the equator. After two days it was gone, not from drifting over the edge of the visible solar disk — it just disappeared.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/09/10090/?nc=1

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September 20, 2007 by kb3ljm.

The sun has been blank, no visible sunspots, for the past seven days, September 7-13. We may not see another spot until September 22, just before the autumnal equinox. Thursday evening, September 13, Spaceweather.com mentioned a coronal wind hitting earth this evening, September 14. The Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) points south, which makes the Earth vulnerable to solar wind, but other sources don’t call for an increase in geomagnetic activity today. We might assume that a solar wind from 27 to 28 days ago could return at this time, based on the rotation of the Sun relative to Earth. But looking back four weeks does not reveal any heightened activity. Of course, it could be that the IMF pointed north, protecting earth from the coronal wind.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/09/14/102/?nc=1

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June 28, 2007 by kb3ljm.

Expect low sunspot activity and moderate geomagnetic conditions this next week. Higher geomagnetic activity is predicted for June 19 and again on June 22. The US Air Force predicts the planetary A index from June 15-24 (June 23-24 is ARRL Field Day) at 10, 5, 5, 10, 20, 15, 12, 20, 12 and 5. Geophysical Institute Prague predicts unsettled conditions for June 15, quiet to unsettled on June 16-17, quiet on June 18-19, unsettled June 20, and unsettled to active conditions on June 21.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/06/15/100/

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April 27, 2007 by kb3ljm.

Sunspots have reappeared over the past few days after six days of nothing. So far in April we’ve seen 18 days with zero spots, but a large sunspot, Number 953, now is rolling into view. A solar wind stream also is expected to hit Earth, causing a geomagnetic upset on Saturday, April 28. The Australian Space Forecast Centre predicts quiet-to-unsettled conditions April 27, active-to-minor storm conditions April 28, and active conditions April 29. The US Air Force predicts the planetary A index from April 27 through May 1 at 5, 25, 15, 10 and 8. Similar predictions from Geophysical Institute Prague give us quiet conditions April 27, active April 28, unsettled to active April 29, unsettled April 30, quiet to unsettled May 1, and back to quiet May 2-3.http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/04/27/100/?nc=1

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April 18, 2007 by kb3ljm.

So far this month we’ve observed nine days in a row with zero sunspots, and all of our reporting week — April 5 through 11 — falls within this string of inactive solar days. As noted last week, comparing that week’s average sunspot number (12.9) to this week’s (0) doesn’t mean much when activity is so low at the bottom of this sunspot cycle. Based on predicted smoothed sunspot numbers, if this month and the next are truly the solar minimum, we should probably see several weeks in a row with no sunspots. This should cheer those hoping for more activity and a return to worldwide propagation on 10 and 15, because recent observation shows the rise of any solar cycle is more rapid than its decline and, most important, the decline of the previous cycle.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/04/13/100/?nc=1

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March 26, 2007 by kb3ljm.

For the past 10 days we’ve observed no sunspots at all! Periods like this — or longer – are expected at the bottom of the sunspot cycle. As mentioned in a recent “Solar Update,” the latest projection for smoothed sunspot numbers from the NOAA Space Environment Center puts the solar minimum at February through April 2007, with a smoothed sunspot number of 11. You can see the table on page 10 of the Preliminary Report and Forecast. Another way to look at it is that the minimum is projected between December 2006 and July 2007, with a smoothed sunspot number of 12 or lower.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/03/23/100/?nc=1

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