![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stuif.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/ssn_predict_l_sept.gif\" "\\"ssn_predict_l_sept\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe current prediction is a (smoothed) sunspot number maximum of about 76. That is low! We have to go back to Cycle 14 in 1906, to find a lower maximum value of 64.<\/p>\n
Here is a graph of the Solar Cycles over the past four centuries. With red crosses I have marked the 1906 maximum and the (predicted) 2013 maximum.<\/p>\n
You will notice that the last half century we have had a “wave” of solar activity. Is that coming to an end now and will we enter a period of low solar activity? Nobody knows, as we do not understand very well the origin of the Solar Cycle.<\/p>\n Both the Maunder minimum (17th century) and the Dalton minimum (~ 1800) had influence on the Earth climate. Severe winters in Europe as can be seen in paintings of the Dutch School, like this famous one by Hendrick Avercamp<\/small> (1585-1634)<\/p>\n Now we live in a period of global warming. There are strong indications that our carbon emission is at least partly responsible for this. But could there also be a contribution due to the high solar activity during the last fifty years? Those are sensitive questions..:-)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My last post about the Sun is from August 2010. At that time it had become clear already that the present Solar Cycle 24 would be a weak one. We are now two years further, the maximum in solar activity … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n