Sunspots are regions of intense magnetic activity on the Sun's surface, or photosphere.

The Sun's magnetic field kind of "wells up" to the surface, and forms a mesh of intertwined magnetic vortices. This magnetic activity inhibits the transport of heat in the affected areas, resulting in reduced temperature (4,000 – 4,500 K, as opposed to 5,800 K of the surrounding photosphere). That's why sunspots appear as darker areas on the Sun's surface. They can be as large as 50,000 miles in diameter which makes them visible to the naked eye.

A Solar flare is a sudden, rapid, intense release of magnetic energy that's otherwise built up in the solar atmosphere. Flares are usually associated with sunspots, more specifically, with intense magnetic activity in regions around sunspots. These magnetic fields link the Sun's corona to the solar interior allowing for energy transfer and exchange on a massive scale.
Source(s):
http://www.geocities.com/dtmcbride/science/astronomy/solar_flare.html
http://www.howstuffworks.com/sun4.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_flares

Asker's Rating:

Permalink | Report