Why do we see sunspots and bright X-rays swirls in the same place?


Almost everything we see on and above the surface of the Sun has something to do with magnetic fields. For example, sunspots, in the photosphere , and bright X-rays swirls in the corona are both affected by the magnetic fields.

In the corona, strong magnetic fields can make the temperature hotter than the normal 2,000,000oC. In the photosphere, strong magnetic fields seem to make the temperature cooler than the normal 5,500oC. There is no simple reason why this is so, so we'll have to leave it there. In fact, even solar physicists don't agree on how to explain these things. So if you're confused, don't worry, you aren't alone!

Back to sunspot page.