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Why do sunspots often appear in pairs?
Sunspots are regions on the Sun’s photosphere that appear darker than the surrounding areas on the visible solar disk due to reduced surface temperature associated with concentrations of magnetic field flux and intense magnetic activity on the Sun. They usually appear in pairs of opposite magnetic polarity.
How many sunspots are on the Sun?
These times are called Solar Maximum and that happens every 11 years or so. The last Solar Maximum was in 1989, so the next one should be in the year 2000. At Solar Maximum, there will be up to 200 sunspots on the Sun at one time.
Are sunspots stationary?
At the beginning of an active period in the solar cycle, a few sunspots appear at the higher latitudes (i.e., near the poles). These are more or less stationary on the Sun’s surface, but appear to us to move because of the Sun’s axial rotation.
Why do sunspots appear on skin?
Age spots are caused by overactive pigment cells. Ultraviolet (UV) light speeds up the production of melanin, a natural pigment that gives skin its color. On skin that has had years of sun exposure, age spots appear when melanin becomes clumped or is produced in high concentrations.
Does the Sun have sunspots today?
With the new sun cycle, we have an increased sunspot activity including, today, no less than three active regions: 2783, 2785 and 2786. The last one is a giant sunspot, several times bigger than Earth.” Thank you, Radu! … the strongest far-side signal we have had this solar cycle.
Do sunspots go away?
The good news about sun spots is that they are not always permanent. Sometimes they can fade if the sun is avoided for a long enough period of time. Prevention is always better than curing, though.
Is the Sun revolving around anything?
Earth revolves (or orbits) around the sun. The sun revolves around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The sun rotates, but not at a single rate across its surface. The movements of the sunspots indicate that the sun rotates once every 27 days at its equator, but only once in 31 days at its poles.
Does the Sun wobble?
The sun, Earth, and all of the planets in the solar system orbit around this barycenter. It is the center of mass of every object in the solar system combined. Our solar system’s barycenter constantly changes position. As the sun orbits this moving barycenter, it wobbles around.
Why do sunspots appear to be in pairs?
In 1981, a scientist observed that sunspots, which are generally seen in pairs, preferentially appear at the boundaries of unipolar magnetic (UM) regions—regions on the surface of the Sun that have rather weak magnetic networks of one polarity.
How big are the sunspots on the Sun?
A pair or group of sunspots appear from inside the sun, and can remain visible for weeks before disappearing back into the solar interior. Large sunspots are as big as the Earth and contain magnetic fields that are thousands of times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field.
Why do sunspots appear to be depressions on the Sun?
Convection is inhibited at the puncture points; the energy flux from the Sun’s interior decreases, and with it, surface temperature, causing the surface area through which the magnetic field passes to look dark against the bright background of the photosphere. The Wilson effect implies that sunspots are depressions on the Sun’s surface.
What are the dark spots on the Sun?
Sunspots are unusual dark areas that pop up regularly on the sun’s surface. See more sunspot pictures. The Aztecs thought that their sun god had pockmarks on his face. The ancient Chinese referred to them as stars inside the solar orb. One Renaissance astronomer argued that they were actually undiscovered planets.