Solar Cycle 23

[K8DO at aol.com]

Discussion of this has been on the 'amateur telescope maker' server
(reflector) for about 2 weeks now...It looks like the new cycle has
started....

#######################################################

Reply-to:	astro at flux.mindspring.com
To:	arlin at metronet.com, astro at mindspring.com, mrastro at aol.com, palmer at sfu.ca,
76057.101 at compuserve.com, yamada at ysc.go.jp
CC:	kbeatty at andromeda.skypub.com

SKY & TELESCOPE NEWS BULLETIN
SEPTEMBER 2, 1995

A NEW SOLAR CYCLE?

Observations suggest that a new solar cycle, number 23, has begun, even
though the turnaround at solar minimum was not expected until sometime next
year. Caltech's Big Bear Observatory reports two active regions on the Sun
with the magnetic polarity expected for the new cycle. In some ways an
accelerated schedule might have been foreseen. According to solar expert
Cary Oler, cycle 22 took only 34 months to rise from minimum to maximum, so
an early minimum thereafter would not be a huge surprise. Oler says we
might now expect the next solar maximum to occur in late 1998 or early
1999, rather sometime in the year 2000
#################################################

and another

####################################################
 
For Immediate Release                                     	August 21, 1995
 
Caltech Observatory Sees Start of New Solar Sunspot Cycle
 
     PASADENA-The first sunspot in the new sunspot cycle was identified on
Saturday, August 12, by astronomers at the California Institute of
Technology's Big Bear Solar Observatory in Big Bear City, California.  The
new sunspot marks the end of the sun's quiescent period and the beginning
of a new surge of sunspot activity.
 
     "This makes us happy," said Hal Zirin, professor of astrophysics at
Caltech and director of the Big Bear Solar Observatory.  "The sun is a lot
more interesting to study when things are going on."
 
     Sunspots are relatively dark spots that typically appear in groups on
the surface of the sun.  They are associated with strong magnetic fields
and with solar flares, and follow an approximately 11-year cycle of
increasing activity followed by a slow decline into a quiescent period. 
Early in the cycle, sunspots appear rarely and at relatively high solar
latitudes around 30 to 35 degrees, then increase in frequency and appear at
lower latitudes until they reach sunspot maximum.  After this peak in
activity, the number of sunspots slowly declines, and they appear ever
closer to the sun's equator until they reach a relatively quiet phase
called sunspot minimum.
 
     There is typically some overlap between successive sunspot cycles.  As
the last sunspots of one cycle appear near the equator, at latitudes of
about 7 degrees, the next cycle starts again with sunspots near 30 degrees,
but with the magnetic polarity of the new spots reversed.
 
     That's exactly the point the sun is at now; it has been in a quiescent
period through much of 1994 and this year, with a few spots showing up near
the equator.  The new sunspot photographed on Saturday appeared at a solar
latitude of 21 degrees, and its magnetic polarity is opposite to that seen
over the last decade, a key to identifying it as the manifestation of the
start of a new cycle.
 
     This new sunspot appeared a bit earlier than astronomers expected. 
Typically, as a solar cycle winds down, late bursts of sunspot activity
will appear near the equator before the new cycle starts.  Scientists had
seen these late pulses of sunspots in 1984, but saw little late activity
this time and therefore expected an early beginning to the new cycle, but
not this early.
 
     Sunspots have effects far beyond the sun itself, so while solar
astronomers are excited by this news, people in many other fields are
keenly interested as well.  Solar flares often occur above sunspots, and
can disrupt radio communications on earth and sometimes even cause
widespread power outages.  Flares also cause the colorful celestial
displays known as the northern (or southern) lights, and cause unusual
behavior in satellites, such as increased drag and disabled orientation.
 
     Sunspots in the new cycle should rapidly become more common and reach
a high level of activity in 1998 or 1999.
               #                      #                      #
******************************************************************************
****
There it is sun spot fans !
..... GO SPOTS ! ......

Denny

>From barry at w2up.wells.com (Barry Kutner)  Tue Sep  5 21:08:52 1995
From: barry at w2up.wells.com (Barry Kutner) (Barry Kutner)
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 95 20:08:52 GMT
Subject: CQWW CW certif rcvd
Message-ID: <H2yyaD1w165w at w2up.wells.com>

Got a pleasant surprise in the mail today - certificate for CQWW CQ 1994. 
Yes, 1994! And there was even a piece of cardboard in the envelope to 
keep the post office from macerating it!
73

--

Barry N. Kutner, W2UP       Internet: barry at w2up.wells.com
Newtown, PA                 Packet Radio: W2UP @ WB3JOE.#EPA.PA.USA.NA
                            Packet Cluster: W2UP >WB2R (FRC)
.......................................................................