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Last Post 4/12/2010 1:37 PM by Pat Reiff

Sunspot

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Anonymous

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4/12/2010 7:12 AM
Jeff K (fx1) What determines a sunspots size and length of time it can be seen?

Tags: sunspots, buoyant

Paulett Liewer

Basic Member

Posts:113

4/12/2010 10:00 AM
Hi Jeff A sunspot occurs where magnetic field, generated inside the Sun, breaks through the Sun's surface. The size of the spot is determined bythe strength and the amount of magnetic field pushing through. The magnetic field at the surface then dissipates through a variety of processes: Solar flares, coronal mass ejections and just diffusion. Bigger spots last longer. Hope this helps Paulett

Pat Reiff

New Member

Posts:83

4/12/2010 1:37 PM
A sunspot is made of plasma tied to tangled magnetic fields. These magnetic fields have energy but less mass density than the surrounding solar material so they are buoyant - they "float". Think about an ice cube in a pan of water... it floats to the top! The bigger the ice cube, the longer it takes to "melt", and so it is with sunspots. Some are short-lived (just a few days) but some can last for a full solar rotation (27 days), or even more. But even though it is still there, it likely has changed in shape or size. Some Chinese scientists reported a sunspot group that lasted five solar rotations! (Chin J. Astron. Astrophys. Vol 5, p77-86, 2005).