NASA Press Announcement Today: Major Drop in Solar Activity Predicted

[TalkingDog]

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=33826

A missing jet stream, fading spots, and slower activity near the poles say that our Sun is heading for a rest period even as it is acting up for the first time in years, according to scientists at the National Solar Observatory (NSO) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

As the current sunspot cycle, Cycle 24, begins to ramp up toward maximum, independent studies of the solar interior, visible surface, and the corona indicate that the next 11-year solar sunspot cycle, Cycle 25, will be greatly reduced or may not happen at all.

The results were announced at the annual meeting of the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society, which is being held this week at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces: http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/SPD2011/

"This is highly unusual and unexpected," Dr. Frank Hill, associate director of the NSO's Solar Synoptic Network, said of the results. "But the fact that three completely different views of the Sun point in the same direction is a powerful indicator that the sunspot cycle may be going into hibernation."

Maunder Minimum or Dalton Minimum anyone?

[liberal N proud]

1. Does that mean that all the solar cells will not work?

:rofl:

:sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm:

[TalkingDog]

6. Only if you iz a Moran

n/t

[thewiseguy]

2. and what does this mean in plain English?

[jberryhill]

3. We need to start building flat topped pyramids and cutting out some hearts

It's the only thing that works.



Because these brilliant people managed to predict the end of the world in 2012, but couldn't see the Spanish coming.

[SpiralHawk]

15. ACTUALLY, Idiotic propaganda pimps have bastardized what the Maya say about 2012

and even used images of the Aztecs rather than the Maya to conclusively demonstrate their ignorance.

The Maya have actually predicted that their exquisitely accurate calendar (way more accurate than the Gregorian calendar used by European invaders) would END in 2012. The calendar ends. Not the world.

Some people -- often descendants of brutal, bloodthirsty European cultures that practiced Inquisition -- seem unable to grasp that fact, and keep making FALSE statements about our relatives to the south, while ignoring the Vast Systematic Evils & Cruelties their own ancestors conducted as religious rites. Shocking. Just shocking the way some people cannot handle the truth.

Go figure.

[Horse with no Name]

4. I'm with you

Totally clueless about this?

[Occulus]

10. Wiki has a crash course on the subject

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer

This is normal solar activity. We're entering the deepest part of the current solar minimum at the moment.

Does anyone know if this could mitigate the effects of global climate change, or is this irrelevant to the greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere?

[TalkingDog]

13. That would be my question.

n/t

[TalkingDog]

5. Well the last 2 prolonged minimums were exceptionally cold.

As in...Little Ice Age cold.

As in: bad growing conditions, increased need for sources of heat, etc...

If you remember any of those stories from a couple of years ago about old folks freezing to death in their houses because the weather was so bitterly cold... that would be your mild winter in a minimum.

[rurallib]

8. don't repubs preach that the warming earth is due to solar cycles?

Looks like this may test their theory.

[TalkingDog]

12. Most scientists, across disciplines, grant there is a consistent correlation

They can't quite figure out the causal connection.

Republicans, as usual, have dumbed down science to meet their agenda needs.


*edited typo

[thewiseguy]

11. I see. Thanks.

[Renew Deal]

9. WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!

:yoiks:

[TalkingDog]

14. Yes, yes we are.

Eventually, but probably not from this

[HappyMe]

17. Calm down!

All you need is duct tape and plastic!

[Renew Deal]

7. And it will go out on 12/21/12!

Bwahahahhahahaha

[shanti]

16. number 9, number 9, number 9

:evilgrin: