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SUN SPOTS

SUN SPOTS. Magnetic fields can be thought of as lines that connect north and south polarities. On the Earth these lines run from north to south and are uniform and organized. This is why we can navigate so well with a magnetic compass. .

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SUN SPOTS

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  1. SUN SPOTS

  2. Magnetic fields can be thought of as lines that connect north and south polarities. On the Earth these lines run from north to south and are uniform and organized. This is why we can navigate so well with a magnetic compass.

  3. On the sun, the magnetic fields connect opposite polarities just as on the Earth. However, while the Earth only has one north and one south pole, on the Sun we observe bits of north and south polarity scattered all over the surface.

  4. A sunspot is a region in the Sun’s photosphere that is relatively cooler than its surroundings and therefore appears darker • The sun’s photosphere is the visible surface of the sun.

  5. Sun spots can be as large as or 5X’s as large as Earth. • Sunspots move with the Sun as it rotates on its axis.

  6. What causes Sun Spots??? • Causes of sunspots are not fully known but it is theorized sun spots are causes by: • The localized strengthening of the Sun’s magnetic field by the process of CONVECTION • Where else does convection occur?

  7. The circular motion of convection occurs in what is known as convection zones. • Sunspots are like huge magnets.

  8. The sun has a sun spot cycle. • This sun spot cycle is predictable and fluctuates in the number of sun spots and in the level of other kinds of solar activity. • The number of visible sunspots varies at different stages of an 11 year cycle.

  9. THE number of visible sunspots decreases from a minimum of almost zero (sun spot minimum QUIET SUN )to a maximum of more than 100 spots (sun spot maximum)

  10. How do sun spots affect weather on Earth? • Sun spots produce a tremendous amount of radiation that the sun sends towards Earth. • A solar flare is a sudden tremendous explosion of light, radiation, and gas from the sun. • These can damage electrical power systems, interfere with telecommunications and high tech ship navigation systems, harm astronauts in space, and create spectacular auroras.

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