The Sunspot Cycle

Read Laboratory Exercise 6, section 3a and answer questions 17-20.

Figure 6.13 Graph of the number of sunspots from 1700 to 1993

graph showing annual sunspot numbers

Figure 6.14 Sunspot Numbers for the Last 5 Years

The solid line is the predicted number. The dotted lines are the predicted extremes.

chart predicting sunspot cycle for years 1994 through 2008

Figure 6.15 Magnetograms

Magnetograms of July 18, 1990 and July 18, 2000. Sunspots typically come in magnetic pairs. Sunspots with positive polarity (white) are next to sunspots of negative polarity (black). This polarity flips for sunspots in the southern hemisphere of the sun compared to sunspots in the northern hemisphere. How are these two pictures different?

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Magnetogram for July 18, 1990 (NSO)
Magnetogram for July 18, 2000 (SOHO)
Magnetogram for July 18, 2000 (SOHO)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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