KWSN Orbiting Fortress

[StarGal]

In the news: the north pole of the sun has gone dark.
What does this mean?
Or is it simply,
It was nice knowing ya?



PS
Are we allowed to upload NASA photos and post them here?

[PhastPhred]

The European Space Agency (ESA)/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured this image of a gigantic coronal hole hovering over the Sun’s north
pole July 18, 2013, at 9:06 a.m. EDT. Coronal holes are dark low-density regions of the Sun’s outermost atmosphere, the corona. They contain little solar material,
have lower temperatures, and therefore appear much darker than their surroundings.
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[PhastPhred]

The Solar Maximum should be later this year, and the 11-year Cycle coincides with this, as the 'Poles' shift, and old North becomes South, etc

[JumpinJohnny]

So far this year the Solar Max is a "no show" and is the mildest sunspot activity observed in 100 years.
The solar maximum usually follows a year of lessening polar magnetic fields, which is what we had last year.
Scientists are being forced to re-think some of the assumptions about the Solar Max 11 year cycle as being the only variable.
It may be that there are a series of greater cycles with distinctive attributes that are either independent of, or contain the 11 year Solar Max. So far this year, the Max is a Mini.
I wonder if the huge cool area and the lack of solar max activity is a part of one of these yet unknown larger cycles.

[PhastPhred]

Maybe the Sun is in a dark mood (ouch!)
and it's Depressed it isn't getting more 'Action'
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[JumpinJohnny]

[Prawdzik]

This may explain why there is no growth on the top of me head...
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