The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to the history, science, and research associated with the sun and sunspots.
Students learn what sunspots are and how they form.
Instructions for safe sunspot viewing and a comprehensive glossary of terms are included. The lesson includes interviews with solar physicists and archeoastronomers, historic images, modern NASA images and movies, and a sunspot research activity. There are three sections. This section describes how and why ancient cultures studied and revered the sun, and details how the development of the telescope began the advent of modern solar research. This section addresses how modern telescopes and technology permit scientists to study the sun in new ways and in various wavelengths.