Sunspot Numbers Crashing in 2017

Space Weather News for Jan. 12, 2017 http://spaceweather.com https://www.facebook.com/spaceweatherdotcom SUNSPOTS VANISH: So far this year, the sun has been blank more than 90% of the time. Only one very tiny sunspot observed for a few hours on Jan. 3rd interrupted a string of spotless days from New Year's through Jan. 11th. To find a similar sequence of blank suns, we have to go back to May of 2010, almost 7 years ago. What does this mean? Visit today's edition of Spaceweather.com for the full story. SPACE WEATHER CONTINUES: No sunspots? No problem. Observers around the Arctic Circle are still observing magnificent auroras. A new apparition is possible on Jan. 12th or 13th when a narrow stream of solar wind is expected to brush against Earth's magnetic field. NOAA forecasters estimate a 35% chance of polar geomagnetic storms. Monitor the realtime aurora gallery for sightings. Remember, SpaceWeather.com is on Facebook! This morning in Abisko, Sweden, an automated auroracam recorded green ribbons dancing above the moonlit snowscape. The sunspot number at the time: Zero. Credit: Lights over Lapland. Share Tweet Forward Copyright © 2017 Spaceweather.com, All rights reserved.