Skip to main content
Log in

Sunspot Observations Made by Hallaschka During the Dalton Minimum

  • Published:
Solar Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present and analyse the sunspot observations performed by Franz I.C. Hallaschka in 1814 and 1816. These solar observations were carried out during the so-called Dalton minimum, around the maximum phase of Solar Cycle 6. These records are very valuable because they allow us to complete observational gaps in the collection of sunspot group numbers, improving the coverage for this epoch. We have analysed and compared the observations made by Hallaschka with the records made by other contemporary observers. Unfortunately, the analysis of the sunspot areas and positions showed that they are too inaccurate for scientific use. We conclude, however, that the sunspot counts made by Hallaschka are similar to those made by other astronomers of that time. The observations by Hallaschka confirm a low level of solar activity during the Dalton minimum.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baranyi, T., Gyori, L., Ludmány, A., Coffey, H.E.: 2001, Comparison of sunspot area data bases. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 323, 223. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Brázdil, R., Řezníčková, L., Valášek, H., Dolák, L., Kotyza, O.: 2016, Climatic effects and impacts of the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in the Czech Lands. Clim. Past 12, 1361. DOI .

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cardarelli, F.: 2003, Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures, Springer, London. DOI .

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Chatzistergos, T., Usoskin, I.G., Kovaltsov, G.A., Krivova, N.A., Solanki, S.K.: 2017, New reconstruction of the sunspot group numbers since 1739 using direct calibration and “backbone” methods. Astron. Astrophys. 602, A69. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Clette, F., Lefèvre, L.: 2016, The new sunspot number: assembling all corrections. Solar Phys. 291, 2629. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Clette, F., Svalgaard, L., Vaquero, J.M., Cliver, E.W.: 2014, Revisiting the sunspot number. A 400-year perspective on the solar cycle. Space Sci. Rev. 186, 35. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Denig, W.F., McVaugh, M.R.: 2017, Early American sunspot drawings from the “year without a summer”. Space Weather 15, 857. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Haigh, J.D.: 2007, The Sun and the Earth’s climate. Living Rev. Solar Phys. 4, 2. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hallaschka, C.: 1814, Ephemeriden der beobachteten Sonnenflecken vom 9. April bis 3. Mai 1814. Hesperus 37, 295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallaschka, C.: 1816a, Beobachtete Sonnenflecken am 28. Februar bis 15. März 1816. Hesperus (Beilage zum Heßperus) 4, 25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallaschka, C.: 1816b, Fortsetzung der Beobachtungen der Sonnenflecken von 4. April bis 1. August 1816. Hesperus 61, 495.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harington, C.D.: 1992, The Year Without a Summer? World Climate in 1816, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hathaway, D.: 2015, The solar cycle. Living Rev. Solar Phys. 12, 4. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hayakawa, H., Iwahashi, K., Tamazawa, H., Toriumi, S., Shibata, K.: 2018, Iwahashi Zenbei’s sunspot drawings in 1793 in Japan. Solar Phys. 293, 8. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyt, D.V., Schatten, K.H.: 1998, Group sunspot numbers: a new solar activity reconstruction. Solar Phys. 179, 189. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kosovichev, A.G., Stenflo, J.O.: 2008, Tilt of emerging bipolar magnetic regions on the Sun. Astrophys. J. 688, L115. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lockwood, M., Owens, M.J., Barnard, L.A., Usoskin, I.G.: 2016, An assessment of sunspot number data composites over 1845 – 2014. Astrophys. J. 824, 54. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Luterbacher, J., Pfister, C.: 2015, The year without a summer. Nat. Geosci. 8, 246. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Šolc, M.: 1999, Fran Ignaz Cassian Hallaschka and his book “Elementa Eclipsium”. Acta Univ. Carol., Math. Phys. 40, 51.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Svalgaard, L., Schatten, K.H.: 2016, Reconstruction of the sunspot group number: the backbone method. Solar Phys. 291, 1. DOI .

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trigo, R.M., Vaquero, J.M., Alcoforado, M.J., Barriendos, M., Taborda, J., García-Herrera, R., Luterbacher, J.: 2009, Iberia in 1816, the year without a summer. Int. J. Climatol. 29, 99. DOI .

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Usoskin, I.G.: 2017, A history of solar activity over millennia. Living Rev. Solar Phys. 14, 3. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Usoskin, I.G., Solanki, S.K., Kovaltsov, G.A.: 2007, Grand minima and maxima of solar activity: new observational constraints. Astron. Astrophys. 471, 301. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Usoskin, I.G., Kovaltsov, G.A., Lockwood, M., Mursula, K., Owens, M., Solanki, S.K.: 2016, A new calibrated sunspot group series since 1749: statistics of active day fractions. Solar Phys. 291, 1. DOI .

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaquero, J.M., Svalgaard, L., Carrasco, V.M.S., Clette, F., Lefèvre, L., Gallego, M.C., Arlt, R., Aparicio, A.J.P., Richard, J.-G., Howe, R.: 2016, A revised collection of sunspot group numbers. Solar Phys. 291, 3061. DOI .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, J.R.: 1856, Mittheilungen über die Sonnenflecken. Vierteljahrsschr. Nat.forsch. Ges. Zür. 1, 151.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Economy and Infrastructure Counselling of the Junta of Extremadura through project IB16127 and grant GR15137 (co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund) and by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of the Spanish Government (AYA2014-57556-P and CGL2017-87917-P). RA acknowledges the support from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through grant AR355/12-1. The authors have benefited from the participation in the ISSI workshops. The authors acknowledge Rudolf Brazdil for his help in locating the original sunspot drawings of Hallaschka.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. M. S. Carrasco.

Ethics declarations

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Carrasco, V.M.S., Vaquero, J.M., Arlt, R. et al. Sunspot Observations Made by Hallaschka During the Dalton Minimum. Sol Phys 293, 102 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-018-1322-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-018-1322-5

Keywords

Navigation