What are the characteristics of sunspots and solar flares?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the characteristics and properties of solar activity, specifically sunspots and solar flares, in a fill-in-the-blank format.
Answer
Sunspots are dark, cooler surface areas, vary in size, appear in pairs, follow an 11-year cycle. Solar flares are energy eruptions near sunspots, extending into the corona, affecting radio communication.
Sunspots:
- are dark areas on the surface of the Sun that are cooler than surrounding areas.
- appear in pairs and vary in size.
- increase and decrease in number over an 11-year period.
Solar flares:
- are sudden eruptions of energy from a small area of the Sun's surface.
- extend into the corona.
- have temperatures between 10,000,000°C and 20,000,000°C.
- occur near sunspots.
- disturb radio communications on Earth.
Answer for screen readers
Sunspots:
- are dark areas on the surface of the Sun that are cooler than surrounding areas.
- appear in pairs and vary in size.
- increase and decrease in number over an 11-year period.
Solar flares:
- are sudden eruptions of energy from a small area of the Sun's surface.
- extend into the corona.
- have temperatures between 10,000,000°C and 20,000,000°C.
- occur near sunspots.
- disturb radio communications on Earth.
More Information
Sunspots and solar flares are key in understanding solar activity's impact on Earth, such as magnetic storms and auroras.
Tips
A common mistake is mixing up solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which are different solar phenomena.
Sources
- Sunspots and Solar Flares | NASA Space Place - spaceplace.nasa.gov
- Sunspots: What are they, and why do they occur? - Space.com - space.com
- Solar Flares - UCAR Center for Science Education - scied.ucar.edu
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