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<H1>Two astronomers predict sunspots will soon disappear completely </H1>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Are sunspots disappearing for good? Two solar researchers
say this is the case. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Amateur Radio Newsline's Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has
more:</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Most hams users know that there is a direct correlation
between sunspots and high frequency propagation conditions. In general, the more
sunspots there are, the more DX you will be able to work. This usually happens
in <BR>11 year cycles with the last solar maximum having taken place in
2000.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>The current Solar Cycle which is Cycle 24 should peak in
roughly next year in 2010. Only one problem. There have been few sunspots this
year and very little easy to work DX. And now there may be an answer as to
why.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Spaceweather.com reports that astronomers <STRONG>Bill
Livingston</STRONG> and <STRONG>Matt Penn</STRONG> of the National Solar
Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, have found that sunspot magnetic fields are
definitely waning. Not only that. They say that sunspots could completely
disappear within decades.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>Livingston and Penn have been measuring solar magnetism
since 1992. Their technique is based on a complex system called the Zeeman
splitting of infrared spectral lines emitted by iron atoms in the vicinity of
sunspots. They reached their conclusion by extrapolating their already collected
data into the future.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>But Spaceweather also says not to count out sunspots just
yet. It notes that while the data of Livingston and Penn is widely thought to be
correct, that any far reaching extrapolations may be premature. It says that
this type of measurement is relatively new, and the data reaches back less than
17 years. In the end it appears as if the giant solar disk we call the sun is
the only one who holds the answers to the future of its spots and how good DX
will be in the coming years.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana><EM><STRONG>Norm Seeley, KI7UP</STRONG></EM><BR>Amateur
Radio Newsline.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT face=Verdana>And a bit of an astro physics lesson before we leave this
story. For those not aware, sunspots are made of magnetism. In other words a
sunspot is not matter but rather a strong magnetic field that appears dark
because it <BR>blocks the upward flow of heat from the sun's fiery depths.
Spaceweather says that without magnetism, there would be no sunspots.
<BR>(Spaceweather, others</FONT><BR></P></BODY></HTML>