Corrected sunspot history suggests climate change since the industrial revolution not due to natural solar trends

The Sunspot Number, the longest scientific experiment still ongoing, is a crucial tool used to study the solar dynamo, space weather and climate change. It has now been recalibrated and shows a consistent history of solar activity over the past few centuries. The new record has no significant long-term upward trend in solar activity since 1700, as was previously indicated. This suggests that rising global temperatures since the industrial revolution cannot be attributed to increased solar activity.

A drawing of the Sun made by Galileo Galilei on 23 June 1613 showing the positions and sizes of a number of sunspots. Galileo was one of the first to observe and document sunspots

Umbral spikes in a large sunspot

A large sunspot observed on Sept 2, 2013 showing umbral flashes and spikes. The radially extending thin dark filaments seen against the light orange background are inflows of plasma into the sunspot. The small streaks of various length visible inside the sunspot against the dark orange background are the umbral spikes, which are oscillating jets driven by sunspot oscillations. 

NJIT

Groundbreaking images of the Sun captured by scientists at NJIT’s Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) give a first-ever detailed view of the interior structure of umbrae – the dark patches in the center of sunspots – revealing dynamic magnetic fields responsible for the plumes of plasma that emerge as bright dots interrupting their darkness.

Venus on the yellow Sun

Venus halfway across its path over the Sun (2012-06-06 01:16:35 UT). Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA

The image above was acquired by SDO/AIA instrument in visible light and shows the disk of Venus, halfway of its transit, projected on the solar photosphere. Groups of sunspots are clearly visible.

A cropping from the SDO/AIA full resolution image (4096 × 4096 pixel). Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA

Source: Solar Dynamics Observatory data archive

The evolution of the sunspot region AR 1429

This video shows the evolution of the sunspot region AR 1429, that generated several major solar storms last year. The video covers nine days, from March 4 to March 12, 2011. Notice how the spot is almost always changing as its magnetic fields realign themselves. The images are white light images called intensity grams.

Credit: NASA/SDO

A flower on the Moon

On this image taken by the SODISM instrument on board Cnes' satellite Picard on May 20th, a strange "Moon flower" seems, like the Little Prince's rose, to have grown on our natural satellite limb.

Group of sunspots looking like a flower growing on the Moon's limb. The image was rotated 90 degrees to create the effect. Credits: CNES/CNRS-LATMOS

A striking image of the Sun's chromosphere

This majestic view of the Sun was taken on the fifth of May by Alan Friedman, an astrophotographer specialized in capturing astonishing images of our home star from his backyard in Buffalo, NY, with a 90mm hydrogen alpha telescope (a clear demonstration that not always bigger is better). The image is inverted: the brighter regions appear darker, and vice versa. 

© Alan Friedman/ avertedimagination.com

Active Region 1476, a gigantic sunspot

A particularly large and complex sunspot appeared over the left limb of the sun on Saturday, May 5, beginning its two-week trek across the face of the star in conjunction with the sun's rotation. The sunspot, dubbed Active Region 1476, has so far produced seven M-class flares and numerous C-class flares, including two M-class flares on May 9, 2012 that peaked at 8:32 EDT and 10:08 EDT. These flares were all short-lived and there were no associated coronal mass ejections, so we do not expect any geomagnetic storms at Earth.

The upper left corner of this image of the sun, shows the biggest and most complex sun spot visible on the sun as of May 9, 2012. It has produced 7 M-class flares so far, but has not produced any coronal mass ejections that could cause geomagnetic storms near Earth. Credit: NASA/SDO