NEW SUNSPOT!

[Ed-VA3ES]

A NEW SUNSPOT:

A new sunspot
http://www.spaceweather.com/images2008/22sep08/midi_lab.jpg?PHPSESSID=fqqehum5f8h7dku1k760ll8c53&PHPSESSID=bohimeorlhkn8r56s3ufcqe317
 is emerging in the sun's northern hemisphere. After several months of almost-relentlessly blank suns, "this is like a breath of fresh plasma," says photographer Pete Lawrence who sends this picture: http://spaceweather.com/submissions/large_image_popup.php?image_name=Pete-Lawrence-2008-09-22_10-24-21_SF100ss_1222082083.jpg  from Selsey, UK. The magnetic polarity of the emerging spot identifies it as a member of new Sunspot Cycle 24.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/10jan_solarcycle24.htm 
more images: http://spaceweather.com/submissions/large_image_popup.php?image_name=N.-Hebert-J.-Fairfull-J.-Stetson-solar_092208_41c_1222114293.jpg
from N. Hebert et al of South Portland, Maine;
http://spaceweather.com/submissions/large_image_popup.php?image_name=Didier-Favre-20080922_10h08_PST102_1222092441.jpg  from Didier Favre Brétigny sur Orge, France;
from   http://spaceweather.com/submissions/large_image_popup.php?image_name=Robert-Arnold-0922-12-50-57wh_1222084957.jpg  Robert Arnold Isle of Skye, Scotland; http://spaceweather.com/submissions/large_image_popup.php?image_name=Adrian-Guzman-DSCN5820---9-22-8_1222107882.jpg   from Adrian Guzman of San Jose, California;

http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=22&month=09&year=2008

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

YAY! Let's see if it catches on.

[k4kyv]

Jan. 10, 2008: Hang on to your cell phone, a new solar cycle has just begun.

"On January 4, 2008, a reversed-polarity sunspot appeared—and this signals the start of Solar Cycle 24," says David Hathaway of the Marshall Space Flight Center.

This is the second one in 8 months thought to belong to Cycle 24. But I'm not getting my hopes up just yet. We'll have to wait to see how this plays out.  160 and 75m DX should be good this coming fall and winter.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/23sep_solarwind.htm

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26857491/

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

No matter what it is, the propagation on the higher bands isn't going to improve significantly for another few years.

[k4kyv]

But condx on 160 will be better during the minimum.  So will 75 for DX, but the band may go long early in the evening making it useless for normal 75m activity.

[AF9J]

That already seems to be the case for me on 75 lately.  I'm not hearing jack on 75 & 80m after about 7 or 8 PM.  Unfortunatley, 160's been pretty noisy for me these past few weeks.

73,
Ellen - AF9J