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You are here: Home / Space / What Causes a Sunspot and When Were Sunspots First Discovered?

What Causes a Sunspot and When Were Sunspots First Discovered?

May 10, 2020 by Karen Hill

Sunspots seem to be visual evidence of magnetic disturbances in the Sun’s convective or radiative layers.

In other words, sunspots are areas of highly intense magnetic energy, which are dark because they are much cooler than their surrounding areas.

They usually occur in pairs, and sometimes in groups.

The center of a sunspot, known as the umbra, is very dark; the edges, or penumbra, are lighter.

The umbra is the center, or darker area, of a sunspot. The brighter penumbra forms a “shadow” around the umbra.

The first historical evidence of a sunspot sighting comes from the fourth century B.C.

At first, people believed that sunspots were planets orbiting the Sun, until Galileo declared that the spots were actually on the Sun’s surface.

Related Facts

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  • How Often Do Sunspots Occur and During Which Century Was There a Drop In Sunspot Activity?
  • Are Faculae and Sunspots Related and How Are Faculae Used To Predict When Sunspots Will Appear?
  • Are Sunspots Permanent and Why Do Sunspots Appear To Travel Horizontally Across the Surface of the Sun?
  • What Causes Sunspots?
  • What Are Spicules, What Causes Spicules, and Who First Discovered Spicules On the Sun?

Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Are Faculae and Sunspots Related and How Are Faculae Used To Predict When Sunspots Will Appear?
Next Post: How Smooth Is the Surface of the Sun and How Long Does Each Convection Current or Granule Last? »

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