On this date in 1789 Heinrich Schwabe, German astronomer who discovered the 11 year sunspot cycle was born. 10 facts about sunspots:
A sunspot is an area of the Sun which appears darker than the surrounding surface of the Sun. A typical spot consists of a dark region called the umbra, surrounded by a lighter region known as the penumbra.
They are cooler than the rest of the sun’s surface. The surface of the sun is is about 10,000 degrees F (5,538 degrees C). The umbra is about 6,300 degrees F (3482 degrees C).
Scientists don’t know what causes sunspots but generally believe it’s something to do with the sun’s magnetic field. It has been observed that the magnetic fields of sunspots are higher than that of the sun in general. The magnetic field of a sunspot is about 2,500 times stronger than that of the Earth. Sunspots tend to occur in pairs that have magnetic fields pointing in opposite directions.
They vary in size. In order to be visible without a Telescope a sunspot would have to be twice the size of Earth. In 1947 the largest group on record, was the size of 141 Earths.
They can last anything from a few hours to several months.
The earliest known records of sunspots come from China. They get a mention in the I Ching, which dates back to before 800BC. There, they were described as “a dou and mei” in the sun, meaning a small obscuration. In 364 BC an astronomer called Gan De observed them deliberately and by 28 BC, Chinese astronomers were regularly recording sunspot observations in official imperial records.
In Europe the earliest recorded observations were by ancient Greek scholar Theophrastus in about 300BC. The earliest known drawings of sunspots were created in 1128 by a monk called John of Worcester. Sunspots were first observed by telescope in 1610 by English astronomer Thomas Harriot.
William Herschel came up with a theory that there was a causal link between sunspot activity and the price of Wheat in England. Needless to say, subsequent studies have failed to find any connection between the two at all.
The number of sunspots follows a cyclical period of about 11 years, something Heinrich Schwabe first noticed in 1843. This is usually pretty consistent although there was a period between 1645 and 1715 when there were hardly any sunspots at all. This period is known as the 'Maunder Minimum’, after the British astronomer who discovered it from the records in 1890.
According to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), if you could cut out a standard sunspot from the sun and place it in the night sky, it would appear as bright as a full Moon.
NEW!!
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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