UNIVERSE
THE SUN
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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large flares of energy that loop back to the sun’s surface.
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magnetic areas on the sun’s surface that appear darker because they are a lower temperature than surrounding areas.
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bursts of energy that flash off the sun’s surface.
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None of the above
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Detailed explanation-1: -Sunspots are areas that appear dark on the surface of the Sun. They appear dark because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface. The temperature of a sunspot is still very hot though-around 6, 500 degrees Fahrenheit!
Detailed explanation-2: -Eventually, the magnetic fields “snap, ‘’ rise and break the surface. This disturbance in the sun’s magnetic field forms pores that can grow and join together to form larger pores, or proto-spots, that eventually become sunspots. A group of sunspots is known as an active region.
Detailed explanation-3: -The field is strongest in the darker parts of the sunspots-called the umbra. The field is weaker and more horizontal in the lighter part-the penumbra. Overall, sunspots have a magnetic field that is about 1000 times stronger than the surrounding photosphere.
Detailed explanation-4: -Over time, the Sun’s differential rotation rates cause its magnetic field to become twisted and tangled. The “tangles” in the magnetic field lines can produce very, very strong localized magnetic fields. Places where “ropes” of bundled field lines “break” the surface of the Sun are active regions where sunspots form.