Sunspots

About Sunspots:

• Sunspots (some as large as 50,000 km in diameter) are areas that appear dark on the surface of the Sun (photosphere). They appear dark because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface.
• However, the temperature of a sunspot is still very hot —around 6,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Photosphere is a visible surface of the Sun, from which is emitted most of the Sun’s light that reaches Earth directly.
• They are relatively cool because they form at areas where magnetic fields are particularly strong.
• These magnetic fields are so strong that they keep some of the heat within the Sun from reaching the surface.
• Magnetic field in such areas is about 2,500 times stronger than Earth’s.
• They typically consist of a dark region called the ‘umbra’, which is surrounded by a lighter region called the ‘penumbra’.
• In every solar cycle, the number of Sunspots increases and decreases.
• The current solar cycle, which began in 2008, is in its ‘solar minimum’ phase, when the number of Sunspots and solar flares is at a routine low

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements:

1. Sunspots are areas that appear dark on the surface of the Sun’s photosphere

2. Sunspots appear dark because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

                       C

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