6 Answers

eggie i used to have freckles too!

The spots I see are called “floaters”. Lutein helps to clear them up. The sun spots are part of the 11 year sun spot cycle. If you are in forest fire country in the midst of a fire you can look directly at the sun when it looks like a tomato in the sky and see the sun spots filtered down by the raging fire and its plumes of smoke. If you haven’t been on that adventure yet come out to California and join a fire fighter crew for the experience and fun of it.

Neither did I !

No.

Yes - as a Radio Ham i monitor solar activity for good worldwide radio conditions. The higher the sunspot count the better high frequency communications are on earth. We are at the moment on sunspot cycle 24 since records began. Each sunspot cycle lasts for approx 11 years.

Yes you are correct, cycle 24 has been very slow starting but it is underway - with quite high levels of solar activity now taking place. We have had several large solar flares and the sunspot count along with solar flux levels are rising. The peak in activity is expected to be around late 2012 - 2013, although many believe (as i do) that the peak will be slightly later.