ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THE SUNSPOT CYCLE NEAR MINIMUM

The decline of cycle 22 is shown to be consistent with the notion that it will have a period <11 years. On the basis of the modern era of su nspot cycles, the average length of short-period cycles has been 123 /- 3 months, suggesting that onset for cycle 23 will be about December 1996 (+/- 3 months). As yet, no high-latitude (25 degrees or more) ne w cycle spots have been reported. Because the occurrence of a high-lat itude new cycle spot group has always preceded conventional cycle onse t by at least 3 months, one infers that its occurrence is most imminen t.