At the edge of the solar limb in H-alpha, the Chromosphere is seen in profile, appearing as an irregular fringe of red light less than 10 seconds of arc high, running all the way around the edge of the disk. Spicules are also visible on the disk as tiny narrow low contrast darker jets which tend to emerge from elements of the Chromospheric Network, an array of long sinuous chains of tiny slightly brighter patches which run over much of the solar disk. Also hampering network visibility are the Fibrils, tiny low contrast short narrow filament-like darker features running between nearby points. Groups of longer fibrils which run directly between areas of opposite magnetic polarity are known as Field Transition Arches. Together, spicules and fibrils make up the Dark Mottles, which cover much of the solar disk, and which are often incorrectly referred to as the Network.
Sunspots are visible in H-alpha, but their prenubras are lower in contrast then in white light.
Frequently, fibrils will be seen near sunspots, tracing out the nearby magnetic field lines. Plage and white-light faculae are related, but are not the same thing, since they often don't occupy exactly the same positions. About 18 months before the old cycle's sunspot minimum, the first new cycle spots may begin to appear near 30 degrees north and south solar latitude, with a few remaining spots from the old cycle straddling both sides of the equator. After the old cycle spots die out, the new ones become more numerous and larger, forming distinct sunspot groups. These groups usually consist of a larger leader spot or spots, often followed as the sun rotates by several somewhat smaller trailing spots.