Member-only story
What are Sunspots?
If you’ve ever had the privilege of looking at the Sun through a solar telescope or have seen a picture of the Sun taken by a space telescope, you have probably noticed the dark splotches on its surface. What are these dark blots, and what can they tell us about what’s taking place inside the Sun? The answer is probably more than you think.
The dark spots you may see on the surface of the Sun are known as sunspots. These blotches appear dark but actually give off their own light. The reason for this is that they are so much cooler than the rest of the Sun’s surface, which makes them look black as the surrounding areas outshine them.
Not all sunspots are the same size and shape. In fact, the size range of sunspots is huge. The largest recorded grouping of sunspots was found in 1947 and was equivalent to 141 Earths in diameter. The length of time a sunspot will be visible also varies greatly. Some sunspots last for only a few hours, while others can stick around for months at a time.
In order to be able to see a sunspot without the help of a telescope or binoculars it needs to be at least twice the size of Earth. It is important to remember that if you are going to look for sunspots, you need to have proper viewing equipment to avoid damaging your eyes. Solar filter glasses are cheap and easy to find for viewing the Sun. If you want to look at the Sun through a…
