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 sunspot 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) new cycle spots have been reported. Because the occurrence of a high-latitude new cycle spot group has always preceded conventional cycle onset by at least 3 months, one infers that its occurrence is most imminent.