© NASA/SOHO
This is interesting. It seems that NASA has taken an interest in the current solar minimum and is getting ready to launch one or more studies about it. They are soliciting proposals.
From this NASA document (PDF
here)
ROSES-09 Amendment 1: New proposal opportunity in Appendix B.9:
Causes and Consequences of the Minimum of Solar Cycle 23This amendment establishes a new program element in Appendix B.9 entitled
Causes and Consequences of the Minimum of Solar Cycle 23. This new program element solicits proposals to study the causes and consequences of the minimum of Solar Cycle 23. Proposals are encouraged that take advantage of this opportunity with studies of domains ranging from the center of the Sun through terrestrial and planetary space environments to the boundary of the heliosphere. High priority will be given to studies addressing the interaction between various regimes.
Notices of Intent to propose are due April 17, 2009, and proposals are due June 5, 2009.
Comment: Let's take another look at those bullet points -
Causes - Solar output
- Lowest sustained solar radio flux since the F 10.7 proxy was created in 1947;
- Solar wind global pressure the lowest observed since the beginning of the Space age;
- Unusually high tilt angle of the solar dipole throughout the current solar minimum;
- Solar wind magnetic field 36% weaker than during the minimum of Solar Cycle 22;
- Effectively no sunspots;
- The absence of a classical quiescent equatorial streamer belt; and
- Cosmic rays at near record-high levels.
Consequences
- With the exception of 1934, 2008 had more instances of 3-hr periods with Kp=0 than any other year since the creation of the index in 1932;
- Cold contracted ionosphere and upper atmosphere; and
- Remarkably persistent recurrent geomagnetic activity.
Interesting how all the man made global warming rhetoric drowns out much of any talk in the mainstream regarding something so significant as what is going on with the sun right now. Ask an average person if they are aware of any of this information. Then ask that same person what they have heard about global warming.
News and science has been turned over to the pop culture media and left the average person without a clue as to what is really going on in their own reality.
Comment: How many catastrophic quotes can this journalist include in a single article?
This is an "emergency summit".
They are meeting to: And so we hear it right from their own mouths that this has little to do with science but it is a deliberate attempt to influence governments. Is this journalist aware that the IPCC models have failed for the last 8 - 10 years and that the planet has not modeled the increased warming predicted? (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link)
Is this journalist aware of the fact that 2007 and 2008 were years of major cooling? (Link) (Link)
Is the journalist aware that sea level rise has recently been found to be neutral, ie. there is none. (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link)
Is this journalist aware of the fact that the sun has gone into a major quiescent mode? (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link) (Link)
Is this journalist aware of Vicky Pope's recent tirade about irresponsible journalists and scientists writing such fear mongering drivel as this article? (Link) (Link)