Sunspots Image courtesy of Big Bear Solar Observatory. Click here to see a recent image of its invisible surface magnetic field. Basic Facts About Sunspots Dark splotches on the sun, like the one shown in close-up, are sunspots. They are almost always seen in pairs and in groups of pairs.
Sunspots are dark because they are the coolest places on the sun.
The number of sunspots on the sun at any given time varies in an ll-year cycle as does the number and severity of disturbances in space weather. Constantly monitoring the development of sunspot groups is one important job of spaceweather forecasters. All Rights Reserved.