New 2008 sunspot cycle: Will cause problems here on Earth

William Atkins
Monday, 07 January 2008 18:51

Science - Space

NOAA announced on January 4, 2008 that the first sunspot (identified as #10,981) has been spotted on the Sun’s northern hemisphere. The sighting introduces a new eleven-year sunspot cycle (Sunspot Cycle 24) that will no doubt periodically disrupt power and communications here on Earth.               

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) article “Sunspot is Harbinger of New Solar Cycle, Increasing Risk for Electrical Systems” talks about the new eleven-year cycle of solar activity.

In the article, solar physicist Douglas Biesecker (NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center) talks about Sunspot Cycle 24 and the first sunspot of the cycle (No. 10,981) when it states, “This sunspot is like the first robin of spring. In this case, it’s an early omen of solar storms that will gradually increase over the next few years.”

Sunspots are regions on the surface of the sun (its photosphere) that has temperatures that are lower than other areas. Increased magnetic activity is formed at these areas, which lowers convection (movement of gases), which causes the lower temperatures.

The temperatures in sunspots are usually about 4000 to 4500 degrees Kelvin (6740 to 7640 degrees Fahrenheit, or 3727 to 4227 degrees Celsius) but much lower than surrounding temperatures that can reach upwards of 5800 degrees Kelvin (9980 degrees Fahrenheit, or 5527 degrees Celsius).

The Sun is a star, and sunspots occur on stars, too, only they are called starspots.

NOAA scientists state that the peak of the new sunspot cycle will occur around 2011 or 2012. Earlier, a panel of solar experts from around the world predicted this new cycle, called Solar Cycle 24, would start in March 2008, with an uncertainty of plus or minus six months.

The end of Solar Cycle 23 was predicted in July 2006 when a backward sunspot was found on the Sun. A backward sunspot, or reversed polarity sunspot, has reversed magnetic activity from that of a normal sunspot.

In this particular case, the sunspot appeared in the southern hemisphere. It had a south-north orientation, whereas, a normal sunspot in the southern hemisphere of the Sun would be oriented in the north-south orientation.

The peak of Solar Cycle 23 was back in 2001.

For additional information on “backward sunspots” go to the NASA website “Backward Sunspot”.