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21 Jan 09
Good Morning Mr. Felix,
21 Jan 09 - I've been following the sunspot counts
with considerable interest, and I was noticing that even when there are
sunspots (at least of late), they are only visible through various
filters. I've tried to find out when sunspots started being counted
using filtered light, rather than full-spectrum visible light, but
without any success. It seems to me that during the Maunder Minimum,
when no sunspots were observed, some sunspots would have been observed
using the current technology.
This would mean the sunspot counts we see now are higher than
observations prior to the widespread use of filters. I've tried to find
out when filters (hydrogen-alpha, k-line, dopplergram, etc) started
being used, but without success. It seems to me that there will be an
offset due to the use of improved technology in determining sunspot
counts.
Sincerely,
Bob Heiderstadt
This makes sense to me. If Bob is correct, perhaps our
present
sunspot count is indeed as low as the Maunder Minimum. That’s
a scary thought.
. . . . .
“I agree,” says Carol in Arkansas. “When comparing older data to
newer data, would not the comparison be more valid if the same
‘tools’ were being used?”
. . . . .
“We probably could have slid into a full bore ice age during the
Maunder Minimum,” says reader Mike McEvoy, “if our beloved
deep water volcanoes caused a slight increase in the evaporation
rate on the ocean's surface. My gut has been telling me for a
while we’re dealing with two or three out-of-phase oscillations
that come into phase, then Zap. Common engineering problem
to deal with and one that often leads to destruction - Tacoma
Narrows Bridge being a good example.”
“We may be here....”
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