Astronomy Practice Exam

What effect do sunspots have on solar activity?

1. Increase solar flares

2. Decrease solar radiation

3. Indicate high solar activity

4. Indicate low solar activity

The correct answer is: Indicate low solar activity

Sunspots are cooler, darker areas on the Sun's surface caused by magnetic activity. The presence of sunspots is a key indicator of the Sun's magnetic activity cycle, which influences solar weather patterns. When the number of sunspots increases, it typically indicates a period of heightened solar activity, which includes an increase in solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Therefore, the presence of numerous sunspots correlates with high solar activity rather than low solar activity. This means that the correct understanding of sunspots is that they indicate higher levels of solar activity, contradicting the assumption that they denote low activity. Hence, the presence of sunspots is a signal of the Sun's dynamic processes, which can lead to various phenomena affecting space weather, including potentially impacting Earth.