Sunspot Numbers Crashing in 2017

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 12, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

SUNSPOTS VANISH: So far this year, the sun has been blank more than 90% of the time. Only one very tiny sunspot observed for a few hours on Jan. 3rd interrupted a string of spotless days from New Year's through Jan. 11th. To find a similar sequence of blank suns, we have to go back to May of 2010, almost 7 years ago. What does this mean? Visit today's edition of Spaceweather.com for the full story.

SPACE WEATHER CONTINUES: No sunspots? No problem. Observers around the Arctic Circle are still observing magnificent auroras. A new apparition is possible on Jan. 12th or 13th when a narrow stream of solar wind is expected to brush against Earth's magnetic field. NOAA forecasters estimate a 35% chance of polar geomagnetic storms. Monitor the realtime aurora gallery for sightings.