The Sun Showing No Spots Makes History -
Mitch Battros - Earth Changes Media
Just as with a 'too calm' earthquake period, the results of which often take people by surprise creating an atmosphere of complacency, only to be wakened with a 6.9 magnitude in their back yard.
Cycle 24 has been predicted to be as much as 50% stronger than its predecessor ---- and this is saying a lot giving Cycle 23 produced the largest solar flares ever recorded. One such flare was so large; it forced NOAA to recalibrate their instruments by 25%.
The November 3rd 2003 solar flare event measured a whopping X-45 on GOES x-ray scale which measures the wave (or pulse) of charged particles emitted by the Sun or other celestial orbs or events. It just so happened that I was conducting an interview with the Director of NOAA's Space Weather Center Dr. Ernie Hildner. While "live" in real-time, we had a play by play account as what has become known as the "Halloween Flare". This classic interview is posted on ECM's 'audio archives' page.
Hildner Audio: http://earthchangesmedia.com/secure/3247.326/article-9162520310.php
Until that day of November 3rd 2003, NOAA's instruments measured only to a maximum X-10. As caught on recording, you hear the only person who directs the monitoring of the Sun's activity of half the world say "live" on-air: "my gosh, this is off the scales. The needles are pegged". The drama continued for several minutes and history was made.
Now back to Cycle 24 --- It was on March 9th 2006 when Dr. Mausumi Dikpati, lead scientist at NASA's (NCAR) National Center for Atmospheric Research, announced for the first time publically while on ECM's 'Radio Hour', "we predict Cycle 24 will be up to 50% stronger than the current cycle".
Dikpati Audio: http://earthchangesmedia.com/secure/3247.326/article-9162522777.php
Two major plasma flows govern the cycle. The first acts like a conveyor belt. Deep beneath the surface, plasma flows from the poles to the equator. At the equator, the plasma rises and flows back to the poles, where it sinks and repeats. The second flow acts like a taffy pull. The surface layer of the Sun rotates faster at the equator than it does near the poles.
FULL ARTICLE: http://earthchangesmedia.com/secure/3247.326/article-9162512447.php
In the recent article highlighting the historical event of zero sunspots for one full month, does point to a very important consequence. This recent 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.
According to data from Mount Wilson Observatory, UCLA, more than an entire month has passed without a spot. The last time such an event occurred was June of 1913. Sunspot data has been collected since 1749.
When the Sun is active, it is not uncommon to see sunspot numbers of 100 or more in a single month. Every 11 years, activity slows, and numbers briefly drop to near-zero. Normally sunspots return very quickly, as a new cycle begins.
But this year, which corresponds to the start of Solar Cycle 24, has been extraordinarily long and quiet, with the first seven months averaging a sunspot number of only 3. August followed with none at all. The astonishing rapid drop of the past year has defied predictions, and caught nearly all astronomers by surprise.
FULL ARTICLE: http://earthchangesmedia.com/secure/3247.326/article-9162522778.php