EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Times of maximum sunspot activity are associated with a very slight increase in the energy output from the sun. Ultraviolet radiation increases dramatically during high sunspot activity, which can have a large effect on the Earth’s atmosphere.

Detailed explanation-2: -In a word, no. Scientists agree that the solar cycle and its associated short-term changes in irradiance cannot be the main force driving the changes in Earth’s climate we are currently seeing.

Detailed explanation-3: -Sunspots are dark, planet-sized regions that appear on the surface of the Sun. They are caused by twisting, chaotic magnetic fields from within the Sun’s convective zone. These powerful magnetic disturbances produce active regions on the Sun, which can often create solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

Detailed explanation-4: -It turns out that individual sunspots themselves don’t affect the weather, but the changes in solar activity that they reveal can affect temperature, wind and weather on the planet.