Sunspots

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Sunspots

• Sunspots are dark spots on the sun's surface.
  They are regions of intense magnetic activity and
  lower temperatures.

• The sunspots vary in size from diameters of
  several hundred to several thousand kilometres.

• They last for a few days or a few weeks.

• They usually occur in pairs or groups.

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• Sunspot activity is an aspect of the solar cycle.
  
• Lasts approximately 11 years.
• The solar cycle is a pattern of increasing and
  decreasing amounts of sunspots.

• At solar minimum there can be no sunspots at all
  and at solar maximum there is usually 100 that
  appear simultaneously.

• During a cycle, the average amount of sunspots
  increases more rapidly than it decreases.

Sunspot activity
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Butterfly diagram
Sunspot activity
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• Conditions which sunspots create are conditions
  in which solar flares occur.
• Solar flares are sudden explosive outbursts of
  radiation and matter that last about an hour.
• Solar flares disturb communications, satellites,
  navigation systems and power grids.

• This occurs because the particles and radiation
  they release ionise the atmosphere and prevent
  the movement of radio waves.
• Stopping communications between satellites and
  the ground as well as preventing radio wave
  communications on the ground.
• The ionised particles in the atmosphere can
  induce electric currents in power lines, causing
  power surges, which can lead to the overloading
  of power grids causing a blackout.

Effects
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THE END