Reanalyses of the Sunspot Observations of Fogelius and Siverus: Two "Long-Term" Observers during the Maunder Minimum

TL;DR

This study reanalyzed archival sunspot observations from Fogelius and Siverus during the Maunder Minimum, correcting data and confirming the suppressed solar activity and long-lived active regions characteristic of that period.

Contribution

It provides revised, contamination-free sunspot data from two long-term observers during the Maunder Minimum, highlighting persistent low activity and long-lived sunspot groups.

Findings

Confirmed low sunspot activity during the Maunder Minimum.

Identified long-lived sunspot groups with lifespans over 35 days.

Revised data suggest potential underestimation of solar cycle amplitudes.

Abstract

The solar activity during the Maunder Minimum (MM; 1645 -- 1715) has been considered significantly different from the one captured in modern observations, in terms of sunspot group number and sunspot positions, whereas its actual amplitudes and distributions is still under active discussions. In its core period (1650/1660 -- 1700), Martin Fogelius and Henrich Siverus have formed significant long-term series in the existing databases with numerous spotless days, as the 13th and 7th most active observers before the end of the MM. In this study, we have analysed their original archival records, revised their data, have removed significant contaminations of the apparent "spotless days" in the existing databases, and cast caveats on the potential underestimation of the solar-cycle amplitude in the core MM. Still, they reported at best one sunspot group throughout their observational period and confirm the significant suppressed the solar cycles during the MM, which is also supported from the contemporary observations of Hook and Willoughby. Based on the revised data, we have also derived positions of notable sunspot groups, which Siverus recorded in 1671 (~ N7.5{\deg} +/- 2.5{\deg}), in comparison with those of Cassini's drawings (~ N10{\deg} +/- 1{\deg}). Their coincidence in position and chronology in corrected dates indicates these sunspot groups were probably the same recurrent active region (AR) and its significantly long lifespan (>~ 35 days) even during the MM.