sunspot cycle

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. the cycle, averaging in duration slightly more than 11 years, in which the frequency of sunspots varies from a maximum to a minimum and back to a maximum again.

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Example Sentences

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sunspot cycle

In 1935, Swiss astronomer Max Waldmeier discovered that the faster the rate of rise of a sunspot cycle the stronger its strength, so stronger cycles take less time to rise to their peak intensity.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 28, 2023

Potential hazards aside, understanding how the sunspot cycle actually works is crucial “from a purely human standpoint, if you want to understand stars,” Dr. McIntosh said.

From New York Times ● May 28, 2021

Because they all occur together, they vary with the sunspot cycle.

From Textbooks ● Oct. 13, 2016

Then there is the sun's variability, mostly in the form of the 11-year sunspot cycle.

From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2012

But sunspot cycle 20, which was a good one, had decided otherwise.

From The Dawn of Amateur Radio in the U.K. and Greece: a personal view by Joly, Norman F.