Related papers: Historical Sunspot Observations: A Review
We compile and analyze the sunspot observations made by John Flamsteed for the period 1672-1703, corresponding to the second part of the Maunder Minimum, which appear in the correspondence of this famous astronomer. We include in an…
The solar program of the Astronomical Observatory of Madrid started in 1876. For ten solar cycles, observations were made in this institution to determine sunspot numbers and areas. The program was completed in 1986. The resulting data have…
In the 19th century, several astronomers made observations of sunspots, recording their positions and sometimes their areas. These observations were published in the form of extensive tables, but have been unhelpful until now. Three of…
Christoph Scheiner was one of the most outstanding astronomers in the history of the sunspot observations. His book, Rosa Ursina, is the reference work regarding the study of the earliest sunspot records. The sunspot observations compiled…
We use archival daily spot coverage measurements from Howard et al. (1984) to study the rotational modulation of the Sun as though it were a distant star. A quasi-periodic Gaussian process measures the solar rotation period $P_\mathrm{rot}…
Antonio Colla was a meteorologist and astronomer who made sunspot observations at the Meteorological Observatory of the Parma University (Italy). He carried out his sunspot records from 1830 to 1843, just after the Dalton Minimum. We have…
Sunspots are areas of strong magnetic fields driven by a convective dynamo. Rudolf Wolf devised his Sunspot Number (SN) series to describe its variation with time. Most other solar phenomena vary in concert with SN, in particular the…
We have recovered the sunspot observations made by David E. Hadden during 1890-1931 from Alta, Iowa. We have digitized the available data published by Hadden in different astronomical journals. This data series have been analyzed and…
Observing and counting sunspots constitutes one of the longest-running scientific experiment, with first observations dating back to Galileo and the invention of the telescope around 1610. Today the sunspot number (SN) time series acts as a…
As we are heading towards the next solar cycle, presumably with a relatively small amplitude, it is of significant interest to reconstruct and describe the past grand minima on the basis of actual observations of the time. The Dalton…
Detailed models of the solar cycle require information about the starting time and rise time as well as the shape and amplitude of the cycle. However, none of these models includes a discussion of the variations in the length of the cycle,…
We review the evidence for the argument that Rudolf Wolf's calibration of the Sunspot Number is likely to be correct and that Max Waldmeier introduced an upwards jump in the sunspot number in 1945. The combined effect of these adjustments…
The recent paucity of sunspots and the delay in the expected start of Solar Cycle 24 have drawn attention to the challenges involved in predicting solar activity. Traditional models of the solar cycle usually require information about the…
In this work, we present an extensive review and detailed analysis of sunspot measurements, drawings, and engravings made by John Flamsteed and, mainly, by Philippe de La Hire during the Maunder minimum. All available information and…
We study the visibility of sunspots and its influence on observed values of sunspot region parameters. We use Virtual Observatory tools provided by AstroGrid to analyse a sample of 6862 sunspot regions. By studying the distributions of…
Solar meridian observations have been used to evaluate the solar activity of the past. Some important examples are the solar meridian observations made at the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna by several astronomers and the observations…
Monthly averages of the sunspot number visible on the sun, observed from 1749, Zurich Observatory, and from 1848 other observatories, have been analyzed. This time signal presents a frequency power spectra with a clear $1/f^\alpha$ behavior…
The present paper reviews results derived from statistical studies on solar activity indices. The prolonged minimum phase of cycle 23 raised the question of peculiarities inherent in cycle 23. The most important solar activity index is the…
The sunspot record is the only observational tracer of solar activity that provides a fundamental, multi-century reference. Its homogeneity has been largely maintained with a succession of long-duration visual observers. In this paper, we…
A new software (Soonspot) for the determination of the heliographic coordinates and areas of sunspots from solar images is presented. This program is very user-friendly and the accuracy of its results has been checked by using solar images…