Quite often the sun was depicted with both short and long rays extending out intimating to me they understood both Solar Maximum and Solar Minimum and the cycles of this star that gives us light and life.
Information that was freely available to us all prior to the Roman Church taking control of everything. We went into the Dark Ages and so much was lost by so many and the knowledge was hoarded up inside the walls of the Vatican where it still lives today.
Slowly since that time people have spent many useful hours observing the world around them and these observations have been very profitable knowledge wise regarding what our star, the Sun is doing and how the behaviour of the Sun is so much more influencing that just shining light on us and making us warm. The story is centered around Magnetism. We will get back to that.
Observation of Solar Cycles
The observation of what is now known as Solar Cycles was first observed by Heinrich Schwabe. Schwabe was initially looking for the planet Vulcan, in doing this, daily for 17 years he scanned the sun. He noticed there were regular variations in the number of sunspots. He published an article on this in 1843. The paper was called "Solar Observations during 1843". Schawabe had noticed a ten year cycle of 'maxima and minima'.
Another scientist Rudolf Wolf an astronomer and mathematician decided to look at this work of Schwabe's. He was so interested that he began to observe himself and take notes. He collected data on Sunspot activity right back to 1610. He also calculated it was a cycle of 11.1 years.
Alexander Von Humboldt used Wolf's information in his third volume of the "Kosmos".
The science of Sun Cycles is now well documented. Each cycle is given a number called a 'Wolf Number' honoring the work of Rudolf Wolf.
We are presently in Sun Cycle 24 transitioning into Solar Cycle 25. or SC25.
Below is a short video that explains what sun spots are.
The Solar Cycle | Astronomy
Solar Cycle 25 - First spot observed
Images @ Eminpee Fotography
