sunspot: Sunspots are dark areas that appear on the photosphere. These areas are cooler than the rest of the Sun's surface. Sunspots look dark because they are seen against the hotter, brighter areas of the photosphere. They range in size from several hundred to 50,000 miles (80,500 km) in diameter. Sunspots are associated with the Sun's magnetic field. Sunspots appear in a 22-year cycle. This cycle is divided into two 11-year periods. During each 11-year period, they grow more numerous for five or six years and then decrease.
