Developing a "Sun Clock" to Predict Solar Storms

Some of the same researchers who are predicting a higher-than-average Sunspot Cycle 25 have also developed a "sun clock" to help predict periods of high solar activity, including solar flares and other events that can impact communications here on Earth. The ARRL Letter reports that the group, led by Professor Sandra Chapman of the Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics at the University of Warwick in England, used the Hilbert transform to create a standardized map of a solar cycle. Their research, according to a paper published in Geophysical Research Letters, determined that transitions between quiet and active periods on the sun tend to be quite sharp, and their "sun clock" can provide information on when an active period may "switch on" or off.