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solar system > Sun > solar activity > solar minimum activity

Preferred term

solar minimum activity  

Definition

  • Solar minimum is the regular period of least solar activity in the Sun's 11-year solar cycle. During solar minimum, sunspot and solar flare activity diminishes, and often does not occur for days at a time. On average, the solar cycle takes about 11 years to go from one solar minimum to the next, with duration observed varying from 9 to 14 years. The date of the minimum is described by a smoothed average over 12 months of sunspot activity, so identifying the date of the solar minimum usually can only happen 6 months after the minimum takes place. Solar minimum is contrasted with the solar maximum, when hundreds of sunspots may occur. (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_minimum)

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http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/MDL-G5QC4X6V-2

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