I have been posting about the Sun's current quiet period and its effect on Earth's climate (cooling since 1998). This is finally starting to get traction in the media and in scientific journals.
From Physics World:
The Sun could be heading into period of extended calmA bit more:
Researchers in the US may have discovered further evidence that the Sun is heading towards an extended period of quiet activity, the like of which has not been seen since the 17th century. The impact this may have on climate is poorly understood but it would be good news for satellite communications, which would continue to avoid the harsher impacts of space weather.
We were expecting to reach the next solar maxima around 2011�2012. However, space weather experts have been surprised over the past few years to report very few signs that the number of sunspots has been picking up since the last solar minimum in 2006. This has prompted some space scientists to forecast that we are heading towards another prolonged spell of quiet sunspot activity, the last of which was observed between 1645 and 1715 in a period called the "Maunder Minimum".If we are going to have an event on the scale of another Maunder Minimum, we are in for some seriously cold disruptive weather for the next 500 years or so...
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