Tag: "sunspot"

Is the Sun Pulling a Rip Van Winkle?

Is the Sun Pulling a Rip Van Winkle?

The Sun seems to be unusually quiet these last few years–and solar scientists are excited by this long, deep slumber….

 
Ben Burress

Post on Apr 10, 2009 by

The Last Hoorah for Solar Cycle 23?

The Last Hoorah for Solar Cycle 23?

Magnetic activity on March 27th; white indicates N magnetic poles, black S. Credit: ESA/SOHO/NASA. A few blogs back I wrote about the 11-year cycle of ups and downs in solar activity–the Solar Cycle –and how over the last year or so the baton was supposedly passed from Cycle 23 to Cycle 24. But there has [...]

 
Ben Burress

Post on Apr 11, 2008 by

Living in the Sun's Atmosphere

Living in the Sun's Atmosphere

Illustration of a blast of solar wind impacting Earth's protective magnetic field. Credit: NASABreathe in, exhale. Feel the air in your mouth, windpipe, and lungs. That's a sample of Earth's atmosphere: the thin layer of gases enveloping our planet. Did you know that the Sun also has an atmosphere, and that the Earth is inside [...]

 
Ben Burress

Post on Mar 28, 2008 by

Nap time for the Sun: solar cycles

Nap time for the Sun: solar cycles

Extreme close-up of the Sun's visible surface, showing 'bubbling' cells of convecting gas–each the size of Northern California. credit: Hinode JAXA/NASA/PPARCBy all accounts, a new cycle-Cycle 24-in solar activity has begun… something you probably didn't notice since the beginning of a solar cycle is quite subtle…. First things first: what is a solar cycle, and [...]

 
Ben Burress

Post on Feb 15, 2008 by