Solar cycles last typically about eleven years, varying from just under 10 to just over 12 years. Over the solar cycle, sunspot populations increase quickly and then decrease more slowly. The point of highest sunspot activity during a cycle is known as solar maximum, and the point of lowest activity as solar minimum.

Apr 13, 2023 · Sunspot positions also change throughout the solar cycle. During the solar maximum, many sunspots are found along mid-latitudes (approximately 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south).

Mar 10, 2025 · Like freckles on the face of the Sun, sunspots appear to be small features, but size is relative: The dark core of this sunspot is actually larger than Earth. What Are Sunspots? Sunspots Are Caused by the Sun's Magnetic Field

On this page you'll find an overview of all the visible sunspot regions on the Sun together with their properties, images and the chances on solar flares or proton events. This page is updated daily and the sunspot images every hour.

4 days ago · NOTICE: There is an image outage of the Sunspot images due to a cooling water line burst in the Joint Science Operations Center (JSOC) at Stanford University on 2024-11-26. The images are provided by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) mission.

Mar 25, 2025 · 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! Why are sunspots relatively cool? It’s because they form at areas …

Sunspots appear in a wide variety of shapes and forms. The darkest area of a sunspot (also the first to be observed) is called the umbrae. As the sunspot matures (becomes more intense), a less dark, outlying area of well-defined fibril-like structure develops around the umbrae - …

Oct 16, 2024 · Now you can join the sunspot count, with the help of NASA’s Sun-watching spacecraft. Choose any of the following activities to track the solar cycle’s progress with sunspots. Images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory highlight the appearance of the Sun at solar minimum versus solar maximum.

Jan 13, 2025 · As the first spots of a new cycle appear, they are at the higher latitudes of the Sun, and increase in size and activity until solar maximum—the peak of sunspot activity—is registered. Scientists label these cycles numerically.

sunspot, vortex of gas on the surface of the Sun associated with strong local magnetic activity. Spots look dark only by contrast with the surrounding photosphere, which is several thousand degrees hotter. The dark centre of a spot is called the umbra; the outer, lighter ring is …