Solar Inactivity and What it might mean

The sun is doing some pretty strange things of late. I have to wonder what it means and whether it may somehow be connected to the approach of the year 2012.

Dark spots, some as large as 50,000 miles in diameter, typically move across the surface of the sun, contracting and expanding as they go. These strange and powerful phenomena are known as sunspots, but now they are all gone. Not even solar physicists know why it’s happening and what this odd solar silence might be indicating for our future.

Although periods of inactivity are normal for the sun, this current period has gone on much longer than usual and scientists are starting to worry—at least a little bit. Recently 100 scientists from Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and North America gathered to discuss the issue at an international solar conference at Montana State University. Today's sun is as inactive as it was two years ago, and solar physicists don’t have a clue as to why.

What does it mean?

Should we be more worried about a coming ice age rather than "global warming?" After all, most environmental experts have stated that there is a warming period before an ice age occurs. Here is what the article states:

In the past, they observed that the sun once went 50 years without producing sunspots. That period coincided with a little ice age on Earth that lasted from 1650 to 1700. Coincidence? Some scientists say it was, but many worry that it wasn’t.

Coming ice age?

The sun has always mystified man. Even in ancient biblical times man was obsessed with the star in the sky known as the sun. Joshua reported:

Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel....Joshua 10

Joshua

So what does this mean for us? Should we assume that the sun's recent behavior is somehow tied in conjunction with the approach of the year 2012? Or, perhaps this is just a natural cycle.

Given that we don't know much about the life providing star, I suppose that any spectualtion on this topic is just that, speculation.

However, I do think that it is something that should, nonetheless, be discussed. It is important for us, as a species, to know what is occurring above our heads.

With so much controversy surrounding Global Warming, could the actual cause be our own Sun?
– by James Roberts - October, 2007 - SecretsofSurvival.com –



On October 5, 2007, the New York Yankees took on the Cleveland Indians in a Divisional Series match up. The Yanks had Andy Pettitte, one of the world's best big game pitchers on the mound. At least they had him in there for over six innings before turning the ball over to their outstanding rookie middle relief man, Joba Chamberlain.
Chamberlain, as he had done so many times during the year, put the Indians down quickly in the seventh to help Pettitte and the Yankees escape a jam and hold onto their 1-0 lead in the contest.

But then came the eighth inning. Chamberlain went out there and started swatting away. No – he wasn't batting.

Rather, he was swatting away the insects. There were so many it was absurd. Never before could anyone remember such a thing occurring. Swarms of midges, no doubt brought on by the unusual heat in Cleveland, relegated Chamberlain to half the pitcher he usually is. Though he wouldn't admit it, it was the bugs that caused him to give up the tying run to his adversaries.

The Indians won the game in extra innings. However, that's not what this article is about. Here's the thing: Most people, Al Gore especially, would have you believe that the strange heat we're experiencing right now is due to the growth of greenhouse gasses. There are certainly some scientists that agree with this as well.

That said, there are other scientists who are simply not on board. Although absolutely no one can deny that it is unusually hot in some areas of the United States right now, are we overestimating the overall heat some

Heating

I suppose that the sun heating up could be a contributing factor of "Global warming." After all, scientists have already admitted that planets throughout our solar system seem to be taking on a warming trend. I suppose my biggest question is: Why now?


[edit on 14-8-2008 by SpeakerofTruth]