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Chapter 29.2 Solar Activity Sunspots • sunspot a dark area of the that has a strong magnetic field. • The movements of gases within the sun’s sun’s rotation produce magnetic fields. • These magnetic fields cause convection to • Slower convection causes a in the amount of gas that is transferring energy from the core of the sun to these regions of the photosphere. • Because less energy is being transferred, these regions of the photosphere are considerably cooler than surrounding regions, and form areas of the sun that appear than their surrounding regions. • These, cooler, darker areas are called • The rest of the photosphere has a grainy appearance called of the sun that is cooler than the surrounding areas and zone and the movements caused by the in parts of the convective zone. . . The Sunspot Cycle • Observations of sunspots have shown that the sun rotates. • The numbers and positions of sunspots vary in a cycle that lasts about • Sunspots initially appear in groups about midway between the sun’s . and . The number of sunspots increases over the next few years until it reaches a peak of 100 of more sunspots. • After the peak, the number of sunspots begins to until it reaches a minimum. Solar Eruptions • Other solar activities are affected by the sunspot cycle, such as the solar-activity cycle. • The solar-activity cycle is caused by the changing solar • This cycle is characterized by increases and decreases in various types of solar activity, including solar eruptions. • Solar eruptions are events in which the sun lifts substantial material above the atomic or particles. • Solar eruptions include , solar flares, and . and emits mass ejections. Prominences • prominence a photosphere. • Each solar prominence follows the curved magnetic polarity to a region of the opposite magnetic polarity. of relatively cool, incandescent gas that extends above the field lines from a region of one Solar Flares • solar flare an release of energy that comes from the sun and that is associated with magnetic disturbances on the sun’s surface • Solar flares are the most violent of all • Solar flares release the can lead to the formation of coronal loops. • Some particles from a solar flare escape into space. These particles increase the strength of the . stored in the strong magnetic fields of sunspots. This release . Coronal Mass Ejections • coronal mass ejection coronal gas that is thrown into • As gusts of particles strike Earth’s , or the space around Earth that contains a magnetic field, the particles can generate a sudden disturbance to Earth’s magnetic field, called a from the sun . • Geomagnetic storms have been known to interfere with communications, , and even cause blackouts. Auroras • aurora colored light produced by charged particles from the and from the magnetosphere that react with and excite the oxygen and nitrogen of Earth’s upper atmosphere; usually seen in the sky near Earth’s . • Auroras are the result of the • Auroras are usually seen close to Earth’s magnetic poles because electrically charged between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere. are guided toward earth’s magnetic poles by Earth’s magnetosphere.