Space: Did You Know That #34

[Robert Bruce]

Did You Know:

Fact: Sunspot activity might possibly be a prime cause of why the sound from Stradivarius violins is so wonderful.

Antonio Stradivari is considered to be the greatest violin maker ever. He lived in Italy during the 17th and 18th centuries. Scientists have not been able to work out what it is about his violins that makes them so incredible, but they do know that the timber used to make them is a very important contributing factor.

From the 1500s to 1800s, the earth underwent a 'little ice age' mainly due to increased volcanic activity and decreased solar activity called the 'Maunder Minimum'. Due to this cooling, the types of trees that Stradivari used for his violins grew into particularly hard wood because of their slowed growth rate.

Hard timber is especially good for making violins. It is very likely that had Stradivari lived in a different age, his violins would not be the prized and sought after musical instuments they are today.

This picture below is made of three overlapping pictures showing the rings in the spruce tree used to make the most famous Stradivarius violin, the "Messiah."



The first row of numbers gives the width of each ring in millimeters (one mm is about the thickness of a fingernail). The bottom row gives the years in which each ring grew. (Photo courtesy of H.D. Grissino-Mayer)