The calm before the solar storm? NASA warns 'something unexpected is happening to the Sun'

It seems the Sun has reduced the number of its sun spots since 2011. It seems kind of odd, considering they were claiming this to be the "solar maximum" the peak of an 11 year cycle.

'Something unexpected' is happening on the Sun, Nasa has warned. This year was supposed to be the year of 'solar maximum,' the peak of the 11-year sunspot cycle. But as this image reveals, solar activity is relatively low.

'Sunspot numbers are well below their values from 2011, and strong solar flares have been infrequent,' the space agency says.

The image above shows the Earth-facing surface of the Sun on February 28, 2013, as observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

It observed just a few small sunspots on an otherwise clean face, which is usually riddled with many spots during peak solar activity.

Experts have been baffled by the apparent lack of activity - with many wondering if NASA simply got it wrong. However, Solar physicist Dean Pesnell of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center believes he has a different explanation.

'This is solar maximum,' he says.

'But it looks different from what we expected because it is double-peaked.'

'The last two solar maxima, around 1989 and 2001, had not one but two peaks.'

Solar activity went up, dipped, then rose again, performing a mini-cycle that lasted about two years, he said. The same thing could be happening now, as sunspot counts jumped in 2011 and dipped in 2012, he believes.

Pesnell expects them to rebound in 2013: 'I am comfortable in saying that another peak will happen in 2013 and possibly last into 2014.' He spotted a similarity between Solar Cycle 24 and Solar Cycle 14, which had a double-peak during the first decade of the 20th century.

If the two cycles are twins, 'it would mean one peak in late 2013 and another in 2015'.

This image from Feb 28, 2013 shows far fewer sunspots than normal, it only shows a few.


Photo of a solar flare compared to the size of the earth


So like the title states, is this the calm before the storm? Will 2013 bring massive solar flares that could knock out our power grid? Or is the sun finally calming down, and we won't have to worry about it? What do you think ATS? Is the danger over, or are things about to ramp up?

www.dailymail.co.uk...

reply to post by eXia7


All light bulbs eventually burn out....let's hope this is not the case for Earth's all important one....

Des

Originally posted by Destinyone
reply to post by eXia7

 

All light bulbs eventually burn out....let's hope this is not the case for Earth's all important one....

Des

that's the truth, but I'd think we would see more signs of a dying sun right?

I tend to agree with the guy about mini cycles. I tend to believe the sun will open up more spots eventually, But it does seem weird since we've had a few big solar flares since last year or so, and now it's quiet.

Originally posted by Destinyone
reply to post by eXia7

 

All light bulbs eventually burn out....let's hope this is not the case for Earth's all important one....

Des

How does anything in the article lead you to the suggestion that the sun is burning out? It says nothing even remotely like that.

The bad image my mind keeps coming back to is something building back pressure. Building to a BIG pop. You are right though. The sun has gone quiet in the oddest way and it's a very measurable thing. Nothing guess based here.

Sunspot Progression vs. Projection

I've been watching this on and off for over a year, knowing the Solar Maximum was supposed to be coming and peaking. Well... The peak became a plop and that's just odd. Back pressure.... No... bad image... bad thoughts...

X's and really really high numbers come to mind.. (munches carrot to block thoughts)

reply to post by Destinyone


I hope not I say this because of a feeling I have had since a child. I have always had a fear that man does not understand our sun as well as we think. I have always feared that something catastrophic will happen to it in my lifetime. This has nothing to do with logic its a feeling.

reply to post by 35Foxtrot


Personal feelings...am I required to quote the article.....

Intuition, what ever you want to call it...a *feeling* that all is not right with our Sun....

Des

The Maya did say we would enter a new solar cycle, the time of the 6th Sun. Could this unusual solar maximum be related? Hopefully time will tell.

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
The bad image my mind keeps coming back to is something building back pressure. Building to a BIG pop. You are right though. The sun has gone quiet in the oddest way and it's a very measurable thing. Nothing guess based here.

Sunspot Progression vs. Projection

I've been watching this on and off for over a year, knowing the Solar Maximum was supposed to be coming and peaking. Well... The peak became a plop and that's just odd. Back pressure.... No... bad image... bad thoughts...

X's and really really high numbers come to mind.. (munches carrot to block thoughts)

My thoughts from looking at those charts (and I am no genius by any means) lead me to believe there could be a sharp spike in frequency of sunspots through the middle of the year or so. You should post those pictures so everybody can see them easily, it's a good correlation for this thread

How long has the sun been there?

How.long have been able to accurately measure its features?

The solar cycles, as we predicted them are nothing more than an educated guess on short term observations. We have no idea what it was doing 5000 years ago, 1 million years ago or 1 billion years ago.

All you are doing to yourselves is creating worry over nothing. If there was something wrong with the sun I can assure you there would be no way to hide it.

I'd rather have a quiet sun than a spotty sun..


Geez all the doomers......the sun is either too active and about to kill us all with giant coronal hole triangles or its too quiet and going to pop and kill us all. Seriously think about that.....

reply to post by eXia7


Their are oposing opinions on this one..some say we are actually in a solar minimum...kind of hard to predict how the sun is going to act when we have no idea when this could simply burn out...I wouldn't worry about it...

reply to post by siliconpsychosis


I only brought this tidbit of information up to review with others, nobody is touting doom. I figured we could discuss thoughts on it, and perhaps learn a thing or 2.

Don't worry, we aren't prepping to bug out.

Originally posted by eXia7
reply to post by siliconpsychosis

 

I only brought this tidbit of information up to review with others, nobody is touting doom. I figured we could discuss thoughts on it, and perhaps learn a thing or 2.

Don't worry, we aren't prepping to bug out.

You were not dooming, but the slightly misleading thread title has attracted some....

I have been on this site for a long time now and it never ceases to amaze me how the fear porn NEVER lets up.
It is just one thing after another after another after another after another!

If something is going on with our sun then guess what????

Aint a damn thing you or I or anyone else can do about it anyway.
Bend over, grab your ankles, and kiss your ass goodbye.

I honestly coudn't care less if the F ing sun blows up tomorrow.
I am living TODAY!!!!

Eat, drink, and be Merry.

and F the sun.

reply to post by eXia7


Okay, I went and captured them and resized for posting. I hope it helps for seeing the data.







It's quiet out there........too quiet?

'Something unexpected' is happening on the Sun, Nasa has warned.

Why would NASA "warn" someone and whom, and for what purpose?
Like: "Everyone in the bunkers? Quick!"

It's also highly suspicious when I look for that phrase, I only get that daily mail article and the rest is conspiracy sites, mostly such sites likes "beforeitsnews" etc.

I would really like to see the official "warning" as claimed from a NASA source or whatever other reliable site.

The sun spots had to be cancelled by the United States due to the sequestration budget concerns

I remember hearing last year that the south pole of the sun wasn't reversing its polarity as was expected. I never saw any follow-up as to if it finally caught up with the reversal of the north pole.

Now I'm curious about whether or not the current status is historically similar to the Carrington Event or the Maunder minimum.

Thanks for the link, OP!

We could in fact be heading for either a twin peak as in the OP article or a mini ice age. Both have happened before and both due to decreased solar output.

There is nothing in the data to suggest either scenario as more valid. Just in case, go buy some ugg boots.

P

Originally posted by siliconpsychosis

Originally posted by eXia7
reply to post by siliconpsychosis

 

I only brought this tidbit of information up to review with others, nobody is touting doom. I figured we could discuss thoughts on it, and perhaps learn a thing or 2.

Don't worry, we aren't prepping to bug out.

You were not dooming, but the slightly misleading thread title has attracted some....

I only used the article headline, media is pretty sensational huh?