We are unique in our solar system

and it says so in The Book

I was reading an article about the challenges of growing food on Mars for potential future Mars Travelers. In that article..I found the side bar mention that the Earth is the only Planet in our solar system with a significant magnetic field. For the public educated youngsters.. that means yes we have a north pole and a south pole.. But they do move and sometimes flip. Our north pole (magnetic) has difted over into Siberia actually.

The magnetic fields change our atmosphere and the different layers that make it up. We have layers that allow ionization and thus reflection of radio waves. and Yes, we ham radio guys follow that because propagation changes, with the seasons and with CME and sunspots. Four or five years ago there were no sunspots and now there a dozens. Thus the radio waves are playing very nice as we attempt to make long distance (DX) contacts.

Bernie McCleny is a ham operator who follows this daily and reports. His email today said..

“The best HF propagation in 20 years is likely to continue through at least midday Saturday with possible milddegradations at high latitudes during local nighttime hours from late Saturday through late Sunday November 5^th by Frank Donovan, W3LPL”

So, for the great majority of folks reading this who aren’t into radio propagation.. sorry, but you are missing out. My “ham” radio buddies will lap this up!

And for the otherwise politically charged folks, this is the reason we have climate change. Not diesel exhaust or cow farts. It is simple. It is called the solar cycle. And for us hams, this is the “best of times” until the next peak, 11 years from now.