Correlation, as they say, is not causation. But the two sure do go together an awful lot. Which is why this chart makes the rounds in certain circles:
But though sunspot activity correlates with recessions, it doesn't correlate with financial crises. The Great Depression was the only economic downturn on the graph to happen in a sunspot trough. But the graph only stretches till 2003. The Connecticut Examiner, however, gives us the details on 2008:2008 was considered a very deep solar minimum where no sunspots were observed on 266 days out of the year (73%). Only one year during the last 100 years observed a lower sunspot activity, 1913 (85%). As of April 19th, there have been no sunspots observed on 96 out of the 109 days (88%) so far this year.So we can say, with very little confidence, that lots of sunspots mean recession and no sunspots mean much worse recession. Everything, as they say, in moderation. Even sunspots.(Via.)Image used under a CC license from DSearls.
