© NASA/SOHO
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 23
This 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.