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The Quietest Sun

Orbity sends in a Boston Globe report on the unusual calm on the surface of the sun. The photos, many taken in more active solar times, are excellent — see the sequence from last year of a coronal mass ejection carrying away the tail of a comet. "The Sun is now in the quietest phase of its 11-year activity cycle, the solar minimum — in fact, it has been unusually quiet this year — with over 200 days so far with no observed sunspots. The solar wind has also dropped to its lowest levels in 50 years. Scientists are unsure of the significance of this unusual calm..." As if to be contrary, New Scientist mentions that the number of sunspots seem to be increasing.

26 of 227 comments (clear)

  1. I know what's up. by stonedcat · · Score: 1, Funny

    We're all screwed...

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    You can't take the sky from me.
    1. Re:I know what's up. by Forty+Two+Tenfold · · Score: 2, Funny

      We're doomed! We're dooooooooooooooomed!

      --
      Upward mobility is a slippery slope - the higher you climb the more you show your ass.
    2. Re:I know what's up. by religious+freak · · Score: 3, Funny

      Who cares? We'll still have light bulbs. Plus we'll save on sunscreen!

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      If you can read this... 01110101 01110010 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100111 01100101 01100101 01101011
    3. Re:I know what's up. by William+Robinson · · Score: 4, Funny

      We're all screwed...

      No. Now he got laid. Didn't u read he is unusual calm after mass ejection!!!

    4. Re:I know what's up. by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 4, Funny

      dooooooooooooooooooooooooooomed!
      dooooooooooooooooooooooooooomed!

      (it's a Futurama joke...)

    5. Re:I know what's up. by cizoozic · · Score: 5, Funny

      I keep seeing all these comments on the blog about all that He has done for us, what He has bestowed upon us, that He has given us this sun for light and heat and beauty...

      I really think H should get more of the credit though. He is merely a byproduct.

  2. the significance of this unusual calm by iminplaya · · Score: 5, Funny

    The sun is dying. Netcraft confirms it.

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    What?
    1. Re:the significance of this unusual calm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I guess the global warming reached out into space and made its impact there as well (Hey, Sun.. Calm down, I'm heating up!). The environmentalists will surely have a field day with this.

  3. Ahh, the silence by eebra82 · · Score: 4, Funny

    This tropical paradise looks as calm as one trillion nuclear bombs. Honey, we're going on vacation.

  4. It just sneaks up on you and ... by itsybitsy · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... burns you to a crisp... now it's in a calm state... but it's waiting, taunting us with massive flares... during the so called calm period there was that really big flare on 20080929... yikes... crispy... Sol... stay cool...

    1. Re:It just sneaks up on you and ... by elrous0 · · Score: 2, Funny

      If horror films have taught me anything, it's that it's always the most quiet right before the zombies suddenly break through the window. I guess what I'm saying is that we need to shoot the sun in the head while we still can.

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      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  5. Re:Taking pictures of the sun? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Chicken talk!

    A ninja would train himself to endure the pain, by looking directly into the sun for hours every day. Eventually he would develop a natural immunity also know as HPEC ( Horribly Painfull Eye Cancer ).

    And that is pretty much it. >> ...

  6. Fewer sunspots by Armakuni · · Score: 5, Funny

    The five trillion tons of Clearasil must be starting to kick in.

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    That's not Picasso, that's Kandinsky!
  7. Re:have the 'wars' endead? by iamapizza · · Score: 0, Funny

    The second paragraph of your diatribe should start with a capital G. You fail.

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    Always proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
  8. crisis by xristoph · · Score: 4, Funny

    so THAT is what caused the economic crisis...

    People, pray to your favorite deity for more sun spots!

  9. The significance? by SlashDev · · Score: 3, Funny

    The sun is using ProActive

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    TOP DSLR Cameras Reviews of the top DSLRs
  10. Re:have the 'wars' endead? by MrMr · · Score: 2, Funny

    You did.
    Apparently

  11. Who's to blame? by Xenna · · Score: 4, Funny

    Come on! We must be able to link this to some kind of human activity!

    1. Re:Who's to blame? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      c'mon, isn't it obvious? It is yet another result of global warming.

  12. Sure, Sol might be a pretty quiet Sun... by ben0207 · · Score: 2, Funny

    .. but the Sparc 1 in my basement is damn silent, I tell you.

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    cmd-q.co.uk - some sort of stupid fucking internet bullshit
  13. Ah but you do! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    If, even after you've gone blind, you continue to stare at the sun, then you WILL get cancer.

    But what you do is you stand around drums of chemicals until they spill into your eyes and give you a tremendous sense of hearing.

  14. Re:Astronomy sun filters. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Please state the nature of your inquisitive emergency...

  15. Re:Taking pictures of the sun? by JustOK · · Score: 2, Funny

    Its perfectly safe, but only if you do it at night.

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    rewriting history since 2109
  16. Re:Cycle 24 spot seen by Muad'Dave · · Score: 4, Funny

    cycle 24 is late. What does it mean?

    The sun's pregnant, that's what it means.

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    Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
  17. Re:Must Be Global Warming by strikeleader · · Score: 2, Funny

    No they will try to blame it on the Bush administration, because as we all know everything that has gone wrong in the universe over the last eight years is W's fault.

  18. I congratulate you, sir by Chris+Pimlott · · Score: 2, Funny

    +5 informative for "RTFA", outstanding!