Spot of bother

• Autores: Brian Owens
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 2934, 2013, págs. 36-39
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Every lunchtime, Gustav Holmberg leaves his desk at Lund University in Sweden to take part in a scientific ritual that stretches back to Galileo's time. Back at his flat, the historian of science sets up a modest telescope and, taking due care not to burn his eyes, points it directly at the sun. He spends 5 minutes or so counting, and uploads a number to a server in Belgium where it is automatically combined with similar numbers from some 90 other observers around the globe, two-thirds of them amateurs like himself. In the past couple of decades, a rival series has revealed the existence of mysterious blemishes in the official sunspot record that cast doubt on its accuracy. Here, Owens discusses the international sunspot number that remains embarrassing for the scientists involved and problematic for those who rely on the record's accuracy.