Sunspot Cycle 23 -- The Movie

Anthony Watts has a great post on Sunspot Cycle 23. It is a flash animation movie showing the progression of sun spots through the later part of the cycle. Both the sunspot progression and the prediction plot is included. Go here.

All Quite, Sunspot Predictions, Cycle 24

The image is from Hinode X-ray Telescope, October 21, 2007. A solar wind stream flowing from the dark coronal hole should reach Earth on Oct. 25th or 26th.

Current sunspot cycle, enlarged to show recent detail. To predict the turning is not possible, to be sure that an actual low turning-point has been reached there has to be a substantial rise.


The official NOAA, NASA, and ISES Solar Cycle 24 prediction was released by the Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel on April 25, 2007. The Prediction Panel included members from NOAA, NASA, ISES and other US and International representatives. Press Briefings and presentations at the SEC Space Weather Workshop, plus additional announcements and information from the Panel are linked below. The Panel expects to update this prediction annually.

The Panel considered all Predictions of Solar Cycle 24 they found in the literature or received directly from an author. The May 24, 2007 List shows the predictions considered.

What is interesting about the current sunspot cycle, or lack thereof, is history has shown us, the sun is unpredictable. It can be really hot one cycle, generating lots os sunspots, and then almost go to zero during the next sunspot cycle for no apparent reason. The Dalton Minimum was a period of low solar activity, lasting from about 1790 to 1820. Like the Maunder Minimum and Sporer Minimum it coincided with a period of lower than average global temperatures.Historical context of sunspots over the last few hundred years.