What are Sun Spots?

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Sunspots are huge cool patches on the Sun's surface. Beneath the Sun's brilliant surface, the churning gases can produce strong magnetic fields. This magnetism siphons away heat, forming cooler and darker sunspots. Sunspots range in size from a few thousand kilometers across to tens of thousands (much much larger than the earth) kms. Most of them last for less than a month. They are more common about every 1 1 years, a period known as sunspot cycle. During it's peak a dozen sunspots may be visible. Vast explosions known as flares sometimes occur near or inside sunspots. These send out extra bursts of particles reaching beyond the Sun's corona.

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