A Summer with Less of the Sun
You read it right! According to observations on the Sun's activities conducted by NASA scientists, the sun had recorded the lowest sunspot for a century. Scientists even compared this latest attribute of the sun to the present situation of the stock market. The sunspot are observable movements in the sun's surface caused by the ejection of solar flares, magnetic field, and radiation. So what are the effects of this "very deep solar minimum" to Earth and humans? Well, there are a handful to say.
One effect of this sun quietness is the decrease of temperature and UV rays that can reach the Earth. Scientists also observed that there is a decrease of about .02% in the transmitted heat from the sun. Though sounds negative, the geniuses still are positive that this is a normal activity of the sun. In fact, that decrease in its temperature transmission cannot even make a change in the present global warming. Although the radiation and the magnetism brought about by the sun will affect the brightness and frequency of the auroras that can be seen at the polar regions.
This year, the sun recorded 78 days without sunspot. The date span was from Jan 1 to March 31, 2009. In that case 87% of the 90-day period, the sun did not show any activity. To say that last year was never close is an early prediction because there are still 9 more months to 2008's record of 266 "sunspotless" days.
What lies ahead on the suns future or even the Earth's future is still vague. There are assumptions that this will just be temporary and that the sun is just following a sequence just as what had happened in 1901 and 1913. But nobody can predict what will happen in the future; even modern equipment has no capacity to do so.
Well, for the moment let's enjoy summer. Lower radiation from the sun would mean more outdoor activities right? Oh just don't forget to still apply a sunscreen - 10.7 cm of decrease in radio wavelength is negligible and can still be harmful.
More info here.
One effect of this sun quietness is the decrease of temperature and UV rays that can reach the Earth. Scientists also observed that there is a decrease of about .02% in the transmitted heat from the sun. Though sounds negative, the geniuses still are positive that this is a normal activity of the sun. In fact, that decrease in its temperature transmission cannot even make a change in the present global warming. Although the radiation and the magnetism brought about by the sun will affect the brightness and frequency of the auroras that can be seen at the polar regions.
This year, the sun recorded 78 days without sunspot. The date span was from Jan 1 to March 31, 2009. In that case 87% of the 90-day period, the sun did not show any activity. To say that last year was never close is an early prediction because there are still 9 more months to 2008's record of 266 "sunspotless" days.
What lies ahead on the suns future or even the Earth's future is still vague. There are assumptions that this will just be temporary and that the sun is just following a sequence just as what had happened in 1901 and 1913. But nobody can predict what will happen in the future; even modern equipment has no capacity to do so.
Well, for the moment let's enjoy summer. Lower radiation from the sun would mean more outdoor activities right? Oh just don't forget to still apply a sunscreen - 10.7 cm of decrease in radio wavelength is negligible and can still be harmful.
More info here.
