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The updated figure (right) shows the variations and contrasts solar cycles 14 and 24, a century apart, that are quite similar in all solar activity measures (in fact cycle 24 is slightly less active than cycle 14 on average), yet the global mean air surface temperature is more than 1 degree Celsius higher for cycle 24 than cycle 14, showing the ...
Total solar irradiance (TSI) [21] changes slowly on decadal and longer timescales. The variation during solar cycle 21 was about 0.1% (peak-to-peak). [22] In contrast to older reconstructions, [23] most recent TSI reconstructions point to an increase of only about 0.05% to 0.1% between the 17th century Maunder Minimum and the present.
The latter standard represents the spectral distribution of global irradiance incident on a 37° tilted surface facing the sun at an air mass of 1.5. The integrated irradiance amounts to 1000 W/m 2 . This standard spectrum is mandated by IEC to evaluate the rating of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells in the absence of optical concentration.
Sunlight takes about 8.3 minutes to reach Earth from the surface of the Sun. [3] A photon starting at the center of the Sun and changing direction every time it encounters a charged particle would take between 10,000 and 170,000 years to get to the surface.
The Solar cycle, also known as the solar magnetic activity cycle, sunspot cycle, or Schwabe cycle, is a periodic 11-year change in the Sun's activity measured in terms of variations in the number of observed sunspots on the Sun's surface.
As at Feb 20, 2025, solar cycle 25 is averaging 37% more spots per day than solar cycle 24 at the same point in the cycle (Feb 20, 2014). Year 1 of SC25 (Dec 2019 to Nov 2020) averaged 101% more spots per day than year 1 of SC24.
The solar constant includes radiation over the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It is measured by satellite as being 1.361 kilo watts per square meter (kW/m 2) at solar minimum (the time in the 11-year solar cycle when the number of sunspots is minimal) and approximately 0.1% greater (roughly 1.362 kW/m 2) at solar maximum. [1]
For example, with an axial tilt is 23°, and at a latitude of 45°, then the summer's peak sun angle is 68° (giving sin(68°) = 93% insolation at the surface), while winter's least sun angle is 22° (giving sin(22°) = 37% insolation at the surface). Thus, the greater the axial tilt, the stronger the seasons' variations at a given latitude.