Solar Cycle 25: Up and Up!
Solar Cycle 25 Likely Reached the Highest Sunspot Number in over 20 Years
The estimated sunspot number for August 8th likely reached the highest value thus far in Solar Cycle 25 and may be the highest since at least July, 2002.
NOAA – Space Weather Service – update Aug. 9, 2024
“My Tele Vue Powermates are terrific performers,” says Paul.
The Predictive Landscape for Solar Cycle 25
Predictions surrounding the highest sunspot number for Solar Cycle 25 have garnered significant attention from scientists and enthusiasts alike. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Solar Cycle Prediction Panel have refined their models, leading to exciting potential outcomes.
Increased solar activity around “solar max” can contribute to more frequent and intense sunspots, flares, coronal mass ejections, and intensified auroras at lower latitudes, offering stunning visual displays. All “good news” for amateur observers! On the flip-side, this heightened solar activity can impact satellite communications, decrease the in-orbit lifespan of satellites below 1,200-miles due to atmospheric expansion interfere with GPS accuracy, cause power grid fluctuations on the Earth, and impact manned missions and operations within the near-Earth environment including on the space station and planned lunar missions.
Solar PUNCH!
The corona is a highly charged plasma that is much hotter than the surface of the Sun. How it gets its energy and the impact of the corona on the solar wind will be the subject of study by the NASA Small Explorer PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission. We’re proud to have been specifically chosen by the lead scientist of the PUNCH mission to design, manufacture, and assemble the optical lens assembly (OLA) for the Wide Field Imager (WFI) cameras which will be deployed on three of the four satellites that will launch in 2025. They will image the solar wind as it leaves the corona, thus providing “the first global images of how the solar corona infuses the solar wind with mass and energy” according to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, which is running the mission. Because the solar wind makes the space weather that impacts everything from the power grid on Earth, astronaut safety, radio communications, satellite operations, and the aurora, this knowledge will make our planet better prepared for the adverse impact of space weather on satellite and ground systems.
At first glance, the OLA could be mistaken for the guts of one of our proprietary Tele Vue eyepiece designs. However, there are important differences to satisfy NASA’s qualification criteria for space flight: first, there are no cemented elements in the design. Next, the housing is made from expensive, but stable, titanium with tiny ventilation passages and holes to minimize the pressure difference across the inside and outside of the OLA. Our in-depth analysis of the OLA design had to consider factors beyond what our amateur gear is accustomed to: maximum stresses in the glass and titanium parts from vibration during launch and from cooling during operation in orbit to -60° C.
The mission is expected to have a 90-day commissioning phase followed by 2 years of observations. If you see any reporting on the PUNCH WFI in the future, now you’ll know those are Tele Vue lenses responsible for the image. With our company roots in the space race, this brings Tele Vue’s involvement with space technologies full circle!
Visit the Polarimeter to UNify the Corona and Heliosphere website to learn more about the mission.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center sunspot graph (below) shows a rising level of solar activity that may not peak until mid-2025 — this is forecast based on the solar minimum of December 2019 when Solar Cycle 24 ended. Cycle 24 had the weakest solar activity in 100-years and predictions in 2020 were that Cycle 25 would be similar. The actual sunspot count in the graph (jagged line) has now reached levels not seen in a generation. Images posted on social media are full of sunspots, flares, and aurora photos due to numerous coronal mass ejections from this cycle.
Waiting for “Solar Max”
The term “solar maximum” refers to the peak of solar activity in a given solar cycle, characterized by an increased number of sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). This phase of the solar cycle can last for several years. The solar maximum is identified through the sunspot number, which is a quantifiable measure of solar activity recorded daily. The sunspot number is calculated using a formula that considers the number of sunspots observed, their sizes, and their groupings. Spaceweather.com suggests that amateur astronomers can estimate the number of sunspots visible in a small scope by dividing the daily published Sunspot Number by 15. Solar Cycle 24, recorded a maximum of sunspot number of 116 and our current Solar Cycle 25 reached 337 on August 8.
While Cycle 25 is far from over, observations indicating Cycle 26 is starting while Cycle 25 continues! This was done though helioseismology: the study of oscillations (mostly sound waves) near the sun’s surface using solar observing spacecraft.
Meet the Tele Vue Line of Powermate Amplifiers
You may have noticed that all the images on this page were created with the help of Tele Vue’s Powermate™ line of focal length amplifiers. This allowed for the close-up views of solar activity.
Powermate™ photo / visual amplifiers increase the focal length of your scope with reduced aberrations, greater magnification potential, and compact size compared to typical Barlow lenses. Also, Powermates™ can be stacked with no adverse impact. Powermates are available in different barrel sizes and powers to meet your mission needs: 1¼” (2.5x & 5x) and 2″ (2x, & 4x) formats. An optional Powermate T-Ring Adapter can replace the eyepiece barrel and provide M42 threads for connecting to your astro camera or DSLR via T-Ring.
Imaging with Powermates is easy: the visual tops all unscrew to accept a specific Tele Vue Powermate T-Ring Adapter for use with standard camera T-rings.
Did you observe, sketch, or image with Tele Vue gear? We’ll like your social media post on that if you tag it #televue and the gear used. Example:
#televue #tv85 #ethos #jupiter
Do you want your Tele Vue images re-posted on Tele Vue Optics’ Social Media accounts? Use this hashtag for consideration:
#RPTVO
More Info
- See more Powermate images and a list of blog posts featuring Powermate.
