That “second max” peak did not last long.
Both SWO and RI indices record a solid pullback.
My page a month ago. From here it looks like a slide towards the next solar minimum – NASA/NOAA say in this chart it will not be before ~2020.
An earlier minimum would not amaze me.
You may want to check out:
“Why Does the Solar Cycle Keep Re-synchronizing Itself With the Gravitational Force of Jupiter That is Tangentially Pushing and Pulling Upon the Venus-Earth Tidal Bulge in the Sun’s Convective Layer?”
at:
astroclimateconnection.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/why-does-solar-cycle-keep-re.html
Which gives this prediction:
Thus, [if] a first minimum for SC 25 that occurs between 2019.24 and 2022.94 (i.e. ~ 2021 +/- 2 years) [it] will indicate a re-synchronization to a VEJ cycle length of 11.07 +/- 0.05 years over a 410 year period.
The similarities with SC5 (late 18th century) are quite pronounced.
Solar maximums tend to occur four years after the previous solar minimum. The length of time for the decline of the solar cycle are quite variable.
This summary of SC24 gives the numbers:
informthepundits.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/sunspot-double-peak-over/
and you can enjoy the new-found sparkles.
SC05 was rather intriguing in that from about 45 months (just under 4 years) to 95 months (just under 8 years) it bobbled along with minor ups and downs. It never developed a well defined maxium. SC14 behaved similarly but with a somewhat higher sunspot count than SC05. The next 20 months are going to be fascinating.
Wonder if the sun will go spotless or near spotless soon.
Check it out at the left here. The spots are all small and about to rotate off.
www.spaceweather.com/
I spoke too soon. A couple of new ones turned up but the number still looks like being low.
RI for July is 57 – up a little on June.