Abstract
A complete dataset of sunspot drawings recorded at Sacramento Peak Observatory (SPO) from late 1947 till mid-2004 has been digitized. We present the history of the observations and describe the data included in the drawings. We compare the sunspot number index calculated from the SPO data and the International Sunspot Number (SNv2), and we find that both series exhibit a similar behavior. The ratio of two sunspot numbers is relatively constant at about 1.2 – 1.3 during 1955–1995, with larger variations present at the beginning of the time series. This work represents the first step for the publication of the SPO sunspot catalogue in digital format. More information, such as positions and areas of sunspots, will be included in the next versions in order to provide the space weather and climate community a more complete sunspot catalogue with good quality observations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arlt, R., Vaquero, J.M.: 2020, Historical sunspot records. Living Rev. Solar Phys. 17, 1. DOI.
Balasubramaniam, K.S., Henry, T.W.: 2016, Sunspot numbers from ISOON: a ten-year data analysis. Solar Phys. 291, 3123. DOI. ADS.
Balasubramaniam, K.S., Pevtsov, A.: 2011, Ground-based synoptic instrumentation for solar observations. In: Solar Physics and Space Weather Instrumentation IV, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series 8148, 814809. DOI. ADS.
Baranyi, T., Györi, L., Ludmány, A.: 2016, On-line tools for solar data compiled at the debrecen observatory and their extensions with the greenwich sunspot data. Solar Phys. 291, 3081. DOI.
Bushnell, D.: 1962, The Sacramento Peak Observatory 1947-1962, OAR Report 5-History, Historical Division, Office of Aerospace Research, Washington. National Solar Observatory archives
Carrasco, V.M.S., Vaquero, J.M., Aparicio, A.J.P., Gallego, M.C.: 2014, Sunspot catalogue of the Valencia observatory (1920–1928). Solar Phys. 289, 4351. DOI.
Carrasco, V.M.S., Vaquero, J.M., Gallego, M.C., Lourenço, A., Barata, T., Fernandes, J.M.: 2018, Sunspot catalogue of the observatory of the University of Coimbra (1929 — 1941). Solar Phys. 293, 153. DOI.
Carrigan, A.L., Oliver, N.J. (eds.): 1967, Geophysics and Space Data Bulletin 4, Air Force Research Laboratories, Office of Aerospace Research, United States Air Force, Washington. https://books.google.com/books/download/Geophysics_and_Space_Data_Bulletin.pdf?id=PuD5dvuoyEoC&output=pdf.
Casas, R., Vaquero, J.M.: 2014, The sunspot catalogues of Carrington, Peters, and de la Rue: quality control and machine-readable versions. Solar Phys. 289, 79. DOI.
CH2M HILL Inc.: 2017, Proposed changes to Sacramento Peak observatory operations: historic properties assessment of effects. Technical report. https://www.nsf.gov/mps/ast/env_impact_reviews/sacpeak/section106/Historic_Properties_Assessment_of_Effects_Report.pdf.
Chadwick, W.B.: 1963, Effective sunspot numbers, January 1961 through July 1962. J. Res. Natl. Bur. Stand., D Radio Propag. 67D, 38. https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/jres/67D/jresv67Dn1p37_A1b.pdf.
Clette, F., Svalgaard, L., Vaquero, J.M., Cliver, E.W.: 2014, Revisiting the sunspot number. Space Sci. Rev. 186, 35. DOI.
Cortesi, S., Cagnotti, M., Bianda, M., Ramelli, R., Manna, A.: 2016, Sunspot observations and counting at Specola Solare Ticinese in Locarno since 1957. Solar Phys. 291, 3075. DOI.
Curto, J.J., Solé, J.G., Genescà, M., Blanca, M.J., Vaquero, J.M.: 2016, Historical heliophysical series of the Ebro observatory. Solar Phys. 291, 2587. DOI.
DeVorkin, D.: 1983, In: Interview of Walter Roberts on 1983 July 27, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics, College Park. https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/28418-2.
Dudok de Wit, T., Lefèvre, L., Clette, F.: 2016, Uncertainties in the sunspot numbers: estimation and implications. Solar Phys. 291, 2709. DOI.
Erwin, E.H., Coffey, H.E., Denig, W.F., Willis, D.M., Henwood, R., Wild, M.N.: 2013, The greenwich photo-heliographic results (1874 – 1976): initial corrections to the printed publications. Solar Phys. 288, 157. DOI.
Evans, J.W.: 1967, Sacramento peak observatory. Solar Phys. 1, 157. DOI. ADS.
Lefèvre, L., Aparicio, A.J.P., Gallego, M.C., Vaquero, J.M.: 2016, An early sunspot catalog by Miguel Aguilar for the period 1914 – 1920. Solar Phys. 291, 2609. DOI.
Lefèvre, L., Clette, F.: 2014, Survey and merging of sunspot catalogs. Solar Phys. 289, 545. DOI.
Liebowitz, R.P.: 2002, Donald Menzel and the creation of the Sacramento Peak observatory. J. Hist. Astron. 33, 193. DOI. ADS.
Mandal, S., Hedge, M., Samanta, T., Hazra, G., Banerjee, D., Ravindra, B.: 2017, Kodaikanal digitized white-light data archive (1921-2011): analysis of various solar cycle features. Astron. Astrophys. 601, A106. DOI.
Muñoz-Jaramillo, A., Senkpeil, R.R., Windmueller, J.C., Amouzou, E.C., Longcope, D.W., Tlatov, A.G., Nagovitsyn, Y.A., Pevtsov, A.A., Chapman, G.A., Cookson, A.M., Yeates, A.R., Watson, F.T., Balmaceda, L.A., DeLuca, E.E., Martens, P.C.H.: 2015, Small-scale and global dynamos and the area and flux distributions of active regions, sunspot groups, and sunspots: a multi-database study. Astrophys. J. 800, 48. DOI. ADS.
Muñoz-Jaramillo, A., Vaquero, J.M.: 2019, Visualization of the challenges and limitations of the long-term sunspot number record. Nat. Astron. 3, 205. DOI.
Neidig, D., Wiborg, P., Confer, M., Haas, B., Dunn, R., Balasubramaniam, K.S., Gullixson, C., Craig, D., Kaufman, M., Hull, W., McGraw, R., Henry, T., Rentschler, R., Keller, C., Jones, H., Coulter, R., Gregory, S., Schimming, R., Smaga, B.: 1998, The USAF improved solar observing optical network (ISOON) and its impact on solar synoptic data bases. In: Balasubramaniam, K.S., Harvey, J., Rabin, D. (eds.) Synoptic Solar Physics, Astr. Soc. Pacific Conf. Ser. 140, 519. ADS.
Pevtsov, A.A., Tlatova, K.A., Pevtsov, A.A., Heikkinen, E., Virtanen, I., Karachik, N.V., Bertello, L., Tlatov, A.G., Ulrich, R., Mursula, K.: 2019, Reconstructing solar magnetic fields from historical observations. V. Sunspot magnetic field measurements at Mount Wilson observatory. Astron. Astrophys. 628, A103. DOI. ADS.
Pötzi, W., Veronig, A.M., Temmer, M., Baumgartner, D.J., Freislich, H., Strutzmann, H.: 2016, 70 years of sunspot observations at the Kanzelhöhe observatory: systematic study of parameters affecting the derivation of the relative sunspot number. Solar Phys. 291, 3103. DOI.
Ramsey, J.: 2002, New Mexico Sunspot: Sacramento Peak Observatory in the Beginning, Essence Publishing, Belleville. ISBN 978-1-55306-484-8.
Secan, J.A., Wilkinson, P.J.: 1997, Statistical studies of an effective sunspot number. Radio Sci. 32, 1717. DOI. ADS.
Willis, D.M., Henwood, R., Wild, M.N., Coffey, H.E., Denig, W.F., Erwin, E.H., Hoyt, D.V.: 2013a, The greenwich photo-heliographic results (1874 – 1976): procedures for checking and correcting the sunspot digital datasets. Solar Phys. 288, 141. DOI.
Willis, D.M., Coffey, H.E., Henwood, R., Erwin, E.H., Hoyt, D.V., Wild, M.N., Denig, W.F.: 2013b, The greenwich photo-heliographic results (1874 – 1976): summary of the observations, applications, datasets, definitions and errors. Solar Phys. 288, 117. DOI.
Zirker, J.B.: 1998, The Sacramento Peak observatory. Solar Phys. 182, 1. DOI. ADS.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the international team on Recalibration of the Sunspot Number Series supported by the International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern, Switzerland. This research was supported by the Economy and Infrastructure Counselling of the Junta of Extremadura through project IB16127 and grants GR18097 (cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund) and by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of the Spanish Government (CGL2017-87917-P). Sac Peak drawings were digitized by NOAA’s (former) National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) and AAP. AAP acknowledges fruitful conversation with Kim Streander about his experience as a Sac Peak observer, and the help by Lou Gilliam and Douglas Gilliam with identifying the names of many observers (their initials on drawings are shown in parentheses): Bryan Armstrong (BDA), George Austin (GMA), Harley Baird (HB), Ed Bergstrom (ENB, EHB), Bill Breedlove (WOB), Todd Brown (DTB), Don Carson (DC), Roger Carson (RC), Eddy Coleman (JEC), Roy Colter (RLC), Rudolph Cook (RHC), John Cornett (JLC), Harry Crawford (HC), Bill Davis (B, BD), Lee Davis (LD), William Davis (W), Howard DeMastus (HD, D, HLD), Joe Elrod (JKE), Lou Gilliam (G, LBG, LG), Douglas Gilliam (DLG), Buzz Graves (BG, BEG), Frank Hegwer (H), Steve Hegwer (SLH), Tim Henry (TWH), Ellis Johansen (E, EEJ, EJ), Dick Mann (M), Frank Manigold (FEM), Patrick S. McIntosh (MC INTOSH), Gary Phyllis (GLP, GP), Harry Ramsey (HER), George Schnable (GSK, GS), Mike Smith (MTS), Arnold Starr (AUS), Rod Stover (S), Kim V. Streander (KVS), Steve Tullis (SET, TULLIS), Bob Wade (W), Jim Warwick (JPW, WARWICK), Phil Young (PCY, PYC), and Dr. Ching-Sung Yu (Y, YU). We thank all observers for their dedication to the program of daily sunspot drawings at Sacramento Peak observatory. Data were acquired by the white-light patrol instrument operated by NSO/AURA/NSF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Carrasco, V.M.S., Pevtsov, A.A., Nogales, J.M. et al. The Sunspot Drawing Collection of the National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak (1947–2004). Sol Phys 296, 3 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-020-01746-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-020-01746-5