Sunspot Surprise: Dark Features Form More Slowly Than Thought

The powerful loops of magnetic fields behind sunspots rise to the surface of the sun much more slowly than previously thought, a new study finds. Sunspots are dark, cooler areas on the surface of the sun that are on average as wide as Earth. Sunspots are dominated by intense magnetic fields within so-called "active regions." These powerful magnetic fields suppress churning or convection of superheated matter in the sun, which is why sunspots are cooler and darker than their surroundings.