Ching Cheh Hung (2007) - In view of the statistics and the issues presented and discussed in this report, one must acknowledge the possibility that some type of tide-solar activity relation may truly exist, despite the widely accepted thought that believes otherwise. Evidence of apparent relations between planet positions and solar activity was observed and presented:
(1) Twenty-five of the thirty-eight largest known solar flares were observed to start when one or more of the tide-producing planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Jupiter) were either nearly above the event positions (<10° longitude) or at the opposing end of the Sun. The probability of this to happen at random is 0.039 percent. This observation supports the hypothesis that the force or momentum balance (between the solar atmospheric pressure, the gravitational field, and the magnetic field) on the plasma in the looping magnetic field lines in solar corona could be disturbed by tides, resulting in magnetic field reconnection, solar flares, and solar storms.
(2) From the daily planet positions during the period from 1840 to 2000, an 11-year cycle of the alignment of Venus, Earth, and Jupiter is observed. This cycle approximately matches the sunspot cycle. When the two cycles were least matched, the sunspot numbers were low (1875 to 1930). When best matched, the sunspot numbers were high (late 1950s). This supports the hypothesis of resonance and beat between the cycle of small tides caused by the planet alignment and the cycle of independent, large, and irregular nontidal solar activity. Mercury produces significant tides, but is not considered because it does not have an 11-year-cycle resonance with the nontidal solar activities, either by itself or by aligning with other planets. The observed relation between the predictable planet position and unpredictable solar flare suggests a way to forecast the times of the largest solar flares (X9.0 and larger, both near- and far-side from Earth) shortly after giant sunspots appear: They are most likely to start when these sunspots rotate into a region where at least one of the four tide-producing planets is either overhead or underfoot (within 10° longitude). They are least likely to occur when these sunspots are at 36° longitude or further away from the overhead or underfoot points of all these four planets.
The theory of resonance between the cycle of non-tidal solar activity and the cycle of the alignment of Venus, Earth, and Jupiter forecast a low sunspot number in the coming solar cycle number 24 unless the current solar minimum would last for a few more years to reduce the current mismatch between these two cycles.
