SUNSPOTS & SOLAR FLARES
The sun’s outermost layer, the
corona, consists of very high levels in energy.
http://www.astronomy.com/photogallery/gallery_list.asp
This is the sun’s
corona up close with the Earth as a scale.
Sometimes sunspots
form on the corona’s surface.
http://www.astronomy.com/photogallery/gallery_list.asp
The sunspots are the dark spots on the sun’s surface.
Sunspots are cool spots on the sun that form in strong magnetic fields.
Sunspots are theorized to occur
on a 11-year cycle. This cycle coincides with other sun activity that involves
the change in the sun’s magnetic field that occurs every 22 years. <http://www.windows.ucar.edu/>
Solar flares are exploding bursts of energy that usually
occur in areas with high sunspot activity.
http://www.astronomy.com/photogallery/gallery_list.asp
The solar flare is the extremely bright area in the picture.
Solar flares are huge releases of energy that is built up
from the sun’s magnetic fields.
