The dark center of a sunspot called

Sunspots consist of a central darker region, known as the umbra, and a surrounding region, known as the penumbra (Image credit: NSO/AURA/NSF. Infographic made by Space.com) Though scientists don't fully understand how sunspots form, researchers generally accept a theory first proposed by American astronomer Imagine the sun's magnetic field as loops of rubber bands, with one end attached to the north pole and the other to the south pole. As the sun rotates at different speeds, with the equator rotating faster than the poles, a "differential rotation" is created, according to Sunspots are, on average, about the same size as As the sun rotates, these magnetic loop "rubber bands" get more wound up (both tighter and more complicated). 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. The magnetic field in active sunspot regions can be some 2,500 times stronger than Earth's, according to the NWS. The strong magnetic field inhibits the influx of hot, new gas from the sun's interior, causing sunspots to be cooler and appear darker than their surroundings, relatively speaking. According to the Sunspot FAQs answered by an expert We asked Dr James McAteer a few commonly asked questions about sunspots. James McAteer is a Professor of Astronomy at New Mexico Sta...

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Sunspots consist of a central darker region, known as the umbra, and a surrounding region, known as the penumbra (Image credit: NSO/AURA/NSF. Infographic made by Space.com) Though scientists don't fully understand how sunspots form, researchers generally accept a theory first proposed by American astronomer Imagine the sun's magnetic field as loops of rubber bands, with one end attached to the north pole and the other to the south pole. As the sun rotates at different speeds, with the equator rotating faster than the poles, a "differential rotation" is created, according to Sunspots are, on average, about the same size as As the sun rotates, these magnetic loop "rubber bands" get more wound up (both tighter and more complicated). 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. The magnetic field in active sunspot regions can be some 2,500 times stronger than Earth's, according to the NWS. The strong magnetic field inhibits the influx of hot, new gas from the sun's interior, causing sunspots to be cooler and appear darker than their surroundings, relatively speaking. According to the Sunspot FAQs answered by an expert We asked Dr James McAteer a few commonly asked questions about sunspots. James McAteer is a Professor of Astronomy at New Mexico Sta...

If you click ' Accept all', we and • display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles • measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and • develop and improve our products and services If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click ' Reject all'. If you would like to customise your choices, click ' Manage privacy settings'. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy & cookie settings' or 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our

Sunspots consist of a central darker region, known as the umbra, and a surrounding region, known as the penumbra (Image credit: NSO/AURA/NSF. Infographic made by Space.com) Though scientists don't fully understand how sunspots form, researchers generally accept a theory first proposed by American astronomer Imagine the sun's magnetic field as loops of rubber bands, with one end attached to the north pole and the other to the south pole. As the sun rotates at different speeds, with the equator rotating faster than the poles, a "differential rotation" is created, according to Sunspots are, on average, about the same size as As the sun rotates, these magnetic loop "rubber bands" get more wound up (both tighter and more complicated). 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. The magnetic field in active sunspot regions can be some 2,500 times stronger than Earth's, according to the NWS. The strong magnetic field inhibits the influx of hot, new gas from the sun's interior, causing sunspots to be cooler and appear darker than their surroundings, relatively speaking. According to the Sunspot FAQs answered by an expert We asked Dr James McAteer a few commonly asked questions about sunspots. James McAteer is a Professor of Astronomy at New Mexico Sta...

A collage of new images of the sun's surface, from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. NSF/AURA/NSO • • The • These images are just a sample of what the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope can do. The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope has been observing the sun from the Hawaiian island of Maui since it first opened in 2020. That year, the observatory captured Its first video, below, showed A movie from the Inouye Solar Telescope shows how the sun's plasma moves across its surface. NSO/NSF/AURA The National Solar Observatory (NSO) released the telescope's latest images on Friday, and they show a whole new side of the sun. Close-up images of dying sunspots For instance, maybe you've seen a sunspot from a distance, like in the image below. A sunspot up close. The shadowy center is the umbra, and the yarn-like structures surrounding it are the penumbra. NSF/AURA/NSO Sunspots are regions of the solar surface where the magnetic field is so strong it essentially A sunspot isn't really a hole, but it sure looks like one. That dark, gaping maw at the center of the sunspot is called the "umbra" — the shadow — and the surrounding stringy structures are the "penumbra." A sunspot and its stringy penumbra stand out against the cells of bubbling plasma on the sun's surface. NSF/AURA/NSO Sunspots are constantly forming, evolving, and dying on the sun. Therefore, "one never can observe the exact same sunspot again. Every sunspot as such is a little bit different also depending on the 'ag...