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arXiv · 2502.16921

Long-lived sunspots in historical records: a case study analysis from 1660 to 1676

Nadezhda Zolotova·Mikhail Vokhmyanin
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Abstract

Sunspot engravings and measurements in 1660-1676 are analyzed to retrieve sunspot area and heliocoordinates. Based on these data, we revise the Hoyt and Schatten (The role of the sun in climate change, 1997) hypothesis of long-lived sunspots during the Maunder minimum as a sign of weakened convection. Historical reports also clarify what each observer defined as a sunspot and the purpose of the observations. The reconstructed longitudes of sunspots allow us to evaluate the rotation rate, revealing that the historical rotation profile resembles that of long-lived sunspot groups in the modern era.

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Nadezhda Zolotova, Mikhail Vokhmyanin. 2025-02-24. Long-lived sunspots in historical records: a case study analysis from 1660 to 1676. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-025-02432-0

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