Oct 7, 2026 · 24 min · 18 segments
When dark spots appear on the surface of the Sun, we're actually seeing the result of massive distortions in solar magnetic fields caused by roiling plasma -- and they appear in regular(ish) 11-year…
One Renaissance astronomer argued that they were actually undiscovered planets.
Today, some believe their appearance is linked to waves of UFO sightings and paranormal activity.
The rest of us wonder if they're the reason for our dropped calls or spotty radio or internet service.
Sunspots are the peculiar dark spots that pop up regularly on the surface of the sun.
They usually appear in pairs or in groups called belts on either side of the sun's equator, between about 40 degrees and 50 degrees latitude, both north and south.
Small sunspots may last for less than an hour, but larger ones can last up to six months.
Keep in mind, of course, that staring directly at the unfiltered sun is an extremely bad idea because it can permanently harm your eyes.
Side note here, yes, seriously, you can observe the sun and its spots safely by using solar viewing glasses or eclipse glasses.
Or if you have a telescope or binoculars, you can fit them with a specialized solar filter meant for observation.
Or if you don't have any of those on hand, you can always use a pinhole projector.
Punch a hole in a stiff piece of paper and with the sun at your back, project an image of it onto another surface, like a wall or another piece of paper.
This is called the photosphere, and it has a temperature of about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit or around 5,500 Celsius.
The dark interior of a sunspot can be about 40% cooler than the rest of the sun's surface.
Sunspots are cooler because they're areas of intense magnetism, so intense that it inhibits the flow of hot material from the sun's interior to its surface.
The interior and exterior of the sun rotate separately, and the exterior rotates more quickly at the equator than at the North and South Poles.
A point on the equator will only take 25 Earth days to go around, while a point near one of the poles could take 36.
Over time, all of that messy and uneven movement twists and distorts the sun's main magnetic field in the same way that your bedsheets get wrinkled and bunched up when you toss and turn in your sleep.
One Renaissance astronomer argued that they were actually undiscovered planets.
Today, some believe their appearance is linked to waves of UFO sightings and paranormal activity.
The rest of us wonder if they're the reason for our dropped calls or spotty radio or internet service.
Sunspots are the peculiar dark spots that pop up regularly on the surface of the sun.
They usually appear in pairs or in groups called belts on either side of the sun's equator, between about 40 degrees and 50 degrees latitude, both north and south.
Small sunspots may last for less than an hour, but larger ones can last up to six months.
Keep in mind, of course, that staring directly at the unfiltered sun is an extremely bad idea because it can permanently harm your eyes.
Side note here, yes, seriously, you can observe the sun and its spots safely by using solar viewing glasses or eclipse glasses.
Or if you have a telescope or binoculars, you can fit them with a specialized solar filter meant for observation.
Or if you don't have any of those on hand, you can always use a pinhole projector.
Punch a hole in a stiff piece of paper and with the sun at your back, project an image of it onto another surface, like a wall or another piece of paper.
This is called the photosphere, and it has a temperature of about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit or around 5,500 Celsius.
The dark interior of a sunspot can be about 40% cooler than the rest of the sun's surface.
Sunspots are cooler because they're areas of intense magnetism, so intense that it inhibits the flow of hot material from the sun's interior to its surface.
The interior and exterior of the sun rotate separately, and the exterior rotates more quickly at the equator than at the North and South Poles.
A point on the equator will only take 25 Earth days to go around, while a point near one of the poles could take 36.
Over time, all of that messy and uneven movement twists and distorts the sun's main magnetic field in the same way that your bedsheets get wrinkled and bunched up when you toss and turn in your sleep.
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