Image
New space weather observations continue to stun scientists reared on the Aristotelian 'uniformitarian' model, where nothing dynamic ever (or very rarely) happens in space. This is from phys.org:
In a recently published paper in Space Weather, associate professor Nathan Schwadron of the UNH Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS) says that due to a highly abnormal and extended lack of solar activity, the solar wind is exhibiting extremely low densities and magnetic field strengths, which in turn is causing dangerous levels of hazardous radiation to pervade the space environment.
While the study notes that "human beings face a variety of consequences ranging from acute effects (radiation sickness) to long-term effects including cancer induction and damage to organs including the heart and brain," the funding angle for this study was to assess the impact of increased radiation on astronauts travelling to Mars (ha! like that will ever happen in today's global economic depression). That's not what interests us here at SOTT.net. What we're interested in is the trend of reducing solar output and the high radiation levels seen during the sun's last minimum cycle... in terms of the immediate, present effects of increased cosmic rays reaching the planet's surface.
"The behavior of the sun has recently changed and is now in a state not observed for almost 100 years," said Schwadron, lead author of the paper and principal investigator for the 'Cosmic Ray Telescope for โ€จthe Effects of Radiation' (CRaTER) on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). He notes that throughout most of the space age, the sun's activity has shown a clockwork 11-year cycle, with approximately six- to eight-year lulls in activity (solar minimum) followed by two-to-three-year periods when the sun is more active. "However, starting in about 2006, we observed the longest solar minimum and weakest solar activity observed in the space age."
In fact, it has turned out to be the weakest in 200 years, a ranking which may change further.

The phys.org article on the study continues:
These conditions brought about the highest intensities of galactic cosmic rays seen since the beginning of the space age. The study is the capstone article in the Space Weather CRaTER Special Issue, which provides comprehensive findings on space-based radiation as measured by the UNH-led detector.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
© Credit: Chris Meaney/NASAArtist's rendition of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter at the moon. The CRaTER telescope is seen pointing out at the bottom right center of the LRO spacecraft.
Ionizing radiation from increased galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles are connected with all kinds of phenomena on Earth. Cosmic rays regulate cloud cover, which has increased in recent years. Given the increased risk of radiation, we have to wonder if increasing rates of cancer aren't related to this? And what other health hazards and/or DNA mutations are changing quantities/qualities of cosmic rays capable of producing?

Real climate scientists understand that whatever warming takes (or took) place was caused by cosmic rays and the sun, not man-made activity. With new and unexpected phenomena being observed in space on a daily basis, 'shields down' means all sorts of things for our terrestrial environment, not least the risk of impact events, enormous stresses within the planet itself, and panic among the elites as they try to distract people from seeing what's going on.