1. Ch. 28.2 Solar Activity

2. Sunspots Gases inside the sun move up and down due to convection and the sun’s magnetic fields. Regions of the photosphere are up to 3,000’C cooler than surrounding areas. The cooler areas appear darker than the other parts of the sun.

3. Sunspots continued. Cool, dark areas of gas within the photosphere that are caused by magnetic fields are called sunspots. Because the sun rotates, the area of sunspots also shift, this change of spots occurs in an 11-year cycle, this is called the sunspot cycle.

4. Prominences and Solar Flares

5. Big clouds of glowing gases are called prominences, they form huge arches above the sun’s surface. Solar flares are sudden outward eruption og electrically charged particles. When these charged particles enter the atmosphere of the Earth, they can disturb the magnetic field, this is called a magnetic storm

6. Auroras

7. Auroras are magnetic storms on Earth that occur after a peak in the sunspot cycle. Electrically charged particles enter the atmosphere and strike the gas molecules and produce sheets of green, red, blue, or violet colors of light. Depending on the hemisphere where the aurora’s occur they are called either the Southern Lights or the Northern Lights.