What is a sunspot?
Q: What is a sunspot?
A: A sunspot is an area of high magnetic activity on the surface of the Sun.
Q: Why do sunspots appear dark?
A: Sunspots appear dark in comparison to the surface around them because they produce bright light but not as much as the surrounding area.
Q: How do sunspots differ from the rest of the sun?
A: Sunspots are cooler than the rest of the sun.
Q: What is the sunspot cycle and how long is it?
A: The sunspot cycle is a period of 11 years during which the number of sunspots on the sun increases and later declines.
Q: How long is the total sunspot cycle and what causes the differences between cycles?
A: The total sunspot cycle is 22 years and sunspots on one cycle are magnetically different from the next. The cause of these differences is not fully understood.
Q: When was the sunspot cycle discovered and how long did it take to observe a pattern?
A: The sunspot cycle was discovered in the 18th century and it takes 11 years to observe a full cycle.
Q: What was the "Maunder Minimum" and why is it significant?
A: The "Maunder Minimum" was a period of over 100 years in which there were very few sunspots. Astronomers do not know what caused this phenomenon, but it is significant because it provides insight into the behavior of the sun and highlights the need for continued research.
