Solar Spots6 photos

Solar spots are dark islands the size of planets on the Sun’s bright surface, the photosphere, surrounded by a sea of plasma and firmly anchored by magnetic fields. They appear dark because they are slightly cooler than the surrounding area. The sizes of these spots are astonishing—ranging from just a few hundred kilometers to tens or even hundreds of thousands of kilometers in diameter.
A solar spot consists of a central region called the “shadow” and a peripheral area called the “penumbra.” The temperature inside a solar spot is 1,000–1,500°C lower than that of the photosphere. Magnetic fields have been detected within these spots, and most groups of spots have both northern and southern magnetic poles. Solar spots represent some of the most intense manifestations of solar activity, and scientists compare their characteristics to various phenomena on Earth, especially in the atmosphere.

Small spots often last for less than 2 days, while more developed spots can persist for about 10–20 days. The largest spots can be observed for up to 100 days. In Russia and other countries, daily observations of solar spots and other phenomena are conducted. The first recorded solar spots were spotted in China around 800 BC. At the very center of a solar spot, the temperature never exceeds 4,000°C, whereas on the surface of the Sun, temperatures range around 6,000°C.