Leif Svalgaard (via Frank Hill) writes to advise me that National Solar Observatory GONG is showing a significant spot on the far side of the sun that appear to have the right latitude for SC24 in addition to being fairly large.
Here is the GONG plot, note P87.
The stereo behind shows some activity also:
Meanwhile on the earthside, it appears that two tiny SC23 specks are showing. Though, they are very hard to see in this SOHO MDI image
We’ll know soon what the spot coming around looks like and if it has the right polarity or is another one of those seemingly neutral polarity spots we’ve seen over the past few months..
Come on, Mr. Sun. Crank it up. We are rootin’ for ya.
Here comes the Sun….it needs some WATTS!
REPLY: No Adolfo, it doesn’t. -A
Just wonder why anyone would want the Sun to crank up. One reason you would not is to prove solar activity is the primary driver of climate.
How many days out we thinking it is if it holds?
Already seems to be fading away. Perhaps the watts effect has a dark side…
As the sun slumbers can we quantify the likely impacts?
Nah… it’s going to be a plage.
Oops! I meant plage!
Reply: That’s what you said! [Actually, I’d already fixed it]. ~dbstealey, mod.
Latest STEREO image shows something just around the bend.
sorry to be obsessive about this but every single NASA sunspot prediction for this cycle has been way off whereas David Archibalds has been spot on lest we forget hahaha
Big deal! The odd spot means nothing. The key is what is happening to the cosmic ray levels – and they are still higher than they have been in decades!
Daddy needs a new pair of shoes…and some warm weather?
Hm, me thinks gambling on sunspots would be interesting-although tough to set up.
This is idiotic…. one spot (may be) showing up and the solar scientists go nuts! It’ll take more than one spot a month to revive the sun.
This is slightly off topic but does anyone find it odd that we have not heard from the media about a two foot RISE IN SEA LEVEL along the East coast this Summer caused by the Gulf Stream shutting down?
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/publications/EastCoastSeaLevelAnomaly_2009.pdf
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090910-sea-levels-rise.html
http://www.climate.org/PDF/clim_change_scenario.pdf
With every Watts there has to be an equal but opposite anti-Watts. With the Watts-Effect there has to be an Anti-Watts-Effect. And there we have it. It will soon fade away quickly because it has been blogged about right here.
If it’s that big, how come it does not really show on the holographic image?
http://spaceweather.com/images2009/11sep09/midi_farside_blank.gif?PHPSESSID=utbtc42kem5johq9bdj9lbc0e0
Is this holographic method not any good?
Good, every little bit helps. One spot = n people saved from starvation.
geoff pohanka (14:37:49) :
Just wonder why anyone would want the Sun to crank up. One reason you would not is to prove solar activity is the primary driver of climate.
It is clear now that next few sun cycles will be weak. We do not need Maunder minimum to show they were wrong. Return to climate of 70ties will suffice.. but, who knows, Sun used to be a cruel god to non-believers…
I know something is around the corner. Everytime there’s a big and strong solarspot, I get an increase in traffic acidents on my way home! and it was madning today! 🙂
PS: Hey! theories are for free these days! just a small untested theory I have!
According to our system, the spot is expected to appear on the front side on Sep. 20. STEREO should have improving views as it approaches.
Other than the GONG map what makes this look more promising than the excitement spaceweather.com exhibited when they noticed sizable active areas on stereo behind before (like months or years ago)?
Try putting Soho on the opposite side of the sun and put GONG and stereo behind where Soho is now and see if you get something that looks like a sunspot over the spotless streaks as of recent.
Ray (15:39:43) :
If it’s that big, how come it does not really show on the holographic image?
Because that image is five days old.
————
On the website: http://vso.tuc.noao.edu/GONG/farside/
if you click on the ‘ascii file’ link below the gray map you get more info:
C. Long. Latitude Phase-shift Prob. Date-of-return Front-side-number
216.000000 -32.683640 -0.158535 87 20090920
Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG+).
http://www.cora.nwra.com/~dbraun/farside-gong/
Hmmm…
Large sunspot emerging, unprecedented weather on Saturn.
link
What else could it be?
The Sun hs got its hat on
Hip-hip, hip-hip hooray
The Sun has got its hat on and it’s coming out to play
(Bonzo Dog Doodah Band, circa a long time ago)