Spatial photos of the week: Sun Spotting



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It is rare to see a sun up close, but this picture gives us the chance to watch. This part of the Sun is called the chromosphere, the second of the three layers of the star. You can see dark sunspots, with a lean filament and lighter areas that call themselves beaches, taken from the French word for "plage". Sunspots are temporary features, sometimes lasting only a day, and sometimes the sun is riddled with them, while at other times they are completely stripped. It is interesting to note that dark sunspots are much colder than surrounding areas – they are formed by magnetic fields that mutually twist each other, essentially cutting off the flow of gas and leaving the area colder.

A. de Burgos / ESA / ESAC / CESAR

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