Sabrina Grolimund - Here Comes the Sun... But It’s Not Alright!
Sunspots are cold dark areas that appear in the solar photosphere and their origin and evolution encompass much of current research in solar physics. Solar events such as sunspots and geomagnetic storms have been the culprit for overvoltages in technological systems, disturbances in submarine telephone cables on ocean floors, turning traffic lights red without trains approaching, and causing irreparable damage to cell molecules in skin, eye, and blood-forming organs. Analysis of international yearly sunspot count data was obtained to examine if occurrence of these magnetic structures was random. A nonparametric statistical test revealed their occurrence is not random. A time series plot revealed a 100-year cyclical pattern. Further research of these phenomena is warranted since predicting them can minimize economic losses and prevent biological conditions such as severe burns, sterilization, cancer, and organ damage.