Sun experiences first spotless month in a century

[UM-Bot]

The sun has reached a milestone not seen for nearly 100 years: an entire month has passed without a single visible sunspot being noted.

The event is significant as many climatologists now believe solar magnetic activity – which determines the number of sunspots -- is an influencing factor for climate on earth.

View: Full Article | Source: Daily Tech

[jhsdfskdjfsd]

What does it MEAN?! D:

[thefinalfrontier]

This totally upsets the predictions for march of 2008 in which the article (Idont have the link) claims that 2008 would be the start of solar storms creating the aurora borialis as best seen in many years,

Go Figure,

[MasterPo]

The event is significant as many climatologists now believe solar magnetic activity which determines the number of sunspots -- is an influencing factor for climate on earth.

The sun actually affects the climate on Earth? I'm stunned! Thank G-d we have climatologists to tell us these things!!!

Edited September 4, 2008 by MasterPo

[Grandpa Greenman]

A mini ice age... hmm I guess I'll have to wear socks with my flip flops. Life in the tropics.

[SRCivic98]

I won't be surprised if there's an ice age of some kind. It'd be cool...VERY COOL, lol...but anyhow at least I could go snowboarding without going out of state. And besides what's a few degrees here and there, hahaha. But the sun becoming inactive, I never heard of that in science class. I knew about the sunspots and all but it's interesting to know that the sun could become inactive in its self. Hey just so long as it doesn't go supernova I'm cool. Bring the cold.

[Picturesque Orion]

What does it MEAN?! D:

It means that those who say that Climate Change is due to the Sun's activity, are wrong! For goodness sakes, we are not at Solar peak yet!

[danielost]

A mini ice age may just mean that the polar ice will return to what we think of as normal.

[Harte]

What does it MEAN?! D:

It means the Sun has been using Proactiv while we weren't looking.

Harte

[mouse888]

great another way to blame our weather and its not gases this time

[Archer1945]

I think it is rather interesting that the number of sunspots this year as been extremely low, with August having none. If I remember correctly during the Little Ice Age of the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries the sun spot numbers were also extremely low. In fact the famous 11 year cycle completely disappeared for several cycles!

As to what this might mean as far as climate goes at the moment I'd say it is anybody's guess. What is interesting is back during the 1960s it was suggested that prior to an Ice Age there would have to be a period of above average warming which would increase the amount of moisture in the atmosphere. Even more interesting is the recent announcement about some recent research showing that the last Ice Age probably started in just a year instead taking decades to develop as had been previously supposed. Now we have had a number of months with very low sun spot numbers, a number of years with above average temperatures and the new issue of the Farmers' Almanac is predicting a very cold winter nearly the whole of the USA. Will be very interesting to see what next Spring and Summer are like.

[Riggs]

Funny, first spotless month in almost a century and then theres a G2 sized magnetic storm released at the end of that month........a 6 hr long one at that..........

Edited September 5, 2008 by Riggs

[Wickian]

This is what people should be afraid of. A warmer climate we can work with since it will actually generate more food and plant life for us to live on. A colder climate, and possible mini ice-age again, = millions of deaths due to food shortages.