Sunspots, solar flares, and the solar cycle

There are many things with spots: Dalmatians, leopards, ladybugs, overripe bananas, and guys with bald spots are all great examples.

Another thing with spots is the Sun!

They may not be very bright, like the big ball they're on, but those are sunspots! Ray Petelin

That's right! The Sun, as it progresses through its solar cycle, gets these dark areas, or spots, on its surface. These are appropriately called "sunspots", and the National Weather Service says the average sunspot is about the size of Earth!

It is important to remember never to look directly at the Sun without proper eye protection, and you shouldn't point any camera or telescope at it without the proper filters.

These sunspots are actually cooler areas on the Sun's surface, which is one of the reasons they are visibl