Astronomy & Astrophysics, Department of Physics, Hindu College
Dr Amit Tanwar
Unit: Sun
Aim: Solar Activity
1. To know about different solar activities of Sun.
2. To know about Sunspots and features of Sunspots.
3. To know about Sunspot cycles and its features.
4. To know about Solar Prominences and solar flares.
1: To Know about different solar activities
(a) Sunspot and Sunspot cycles
(b) Solar Prominences
(c) Solar flares
2: To know about Sunspots and features of Sunspots
Sunspots are dark spots that appear on the surface of Sun. These dark spots on the photosphere are
very large structure in comparison to a single granule structure that exist on the surface of
photosphere.1
Some features of Sun spots are as follows:
(1) Spinning of Sun: Galileo observed the Sunspot with his telescope in the 17th Century. He
also observed that these sunspots are not stationary thus concluded that Sun is spinning on
its axis.
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Dr Amit Tanwar, Department of Physics, Hindu College, University of Delhi
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Department of Physics, Hindu College
Dr Amit Tanwar
(2) Sunspot structure: Sunspot has a dark area known as Umbra surrounded by a less dark area
but still dark in comparison to other part of photosphere is known as Penumbra as shown
in the figure.
(3) Temperature of dark spot is low (about 4000K) in comparison to surface temperature of
Sun or photosphere (about 6000K). Thus, Sunspot are cooler. Reason for dark is due to the
absence of convection mechanism. (Granule structure are bright due to the convection
mechanism i.e hot gases from lower layer of photosphere moves upward thus appear
bright). From these Sunspots, magnetic field emerge out and thus restrict the movement of
hot gases from these spots and thus are cooler and darker than the surrounding region.
Therefore, Sunspot appear dark and temperature is low.
(4) Magnetic field emerges out of the Sunspot. This can be confirmed through Zeeman effect.
In Zeeman effect, when an atom is placed in a magnetic field, spectral line emitted at single
wavelength get split into three lines. Similar three lines were observed in the spectrum from
these Sunspot.
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Dr Amit Tanwar, Department of Physics, Hindu College, University of Delhi
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Department of Physics, Hindu College
Dr Amit Tanwar
3: Sunspot cycle and its features
Galileo observed the Sunspot with his telescope in the 17th Century. He observed that these
sunspots are not stationary and they all moves in one direction, thus concluded that Sun is spinning
on its axis. Henrich Schwabe in 1843 observed the periodic variation of Sunspot numbers on the
Sun’s surface.1
Features of Sunspots
(a) Sunspot originate or first appear at high latitude (35o in Northern Hemisphere of Sun) and
then migrate to lower latitude (10o in Northern hemisphere) and disappear. They again
reappear at high latitude and this periodic variation continues.
(b) Latitude migration of Sunspot follows Butterfly shape diagram as shown in the figure.
(c) A periodic variation of 11 years cycle is observed between two successive sunspots
appearing at the same latitude.
(d) Sunspot show a slow motion at high latitude and faster motion at low latitude. This imply
differential rotation of Sun. Sun rotating faster at the center and slow at the higher latitude.
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Dr Amit Tanwar, Department of Physics, Hindu College, University of Delhi
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Department of Physics, Hindu College
Dr Amit Tanwar
4. Solar Prominences and Solar Flares
Loop like structures emerging from
photosphere and reaches the corona when the
Sun is viewed along the edge of solar disc (as
shown in fig). These loop-like structures are
known as Prominences. 1
Features:
(a) These prominences or loops are
connected with magnetic field. These
loops are magnetic field.
(b) In these loops hot ionized gases are
trapped with the magnetic field. Due to
high strength of magnetic field, ions
spirals around the magnetic lines and
thus keep moving in these loops and
thus appears to highly streamlined
structure (appear to be like filament
structure).
Solar Flare
Solar flare are sudden eruptive events that occur in the Sun. In this sudden eruption, huge amount
of energy from the Sun is released (1025 Joules). These eruptions happen in the magnetic loops
that has been rooted at the Sunspot. Due to magnetic reconnection at the top of these loops, these
eruptions occur.2
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Dr Amit Tanwar, Department of Physics, Hindu College, University of Delhi
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Department of Physics, Hindu College
Dr Amit Tanwar
_____________________________________________________________________________
Exercise: Stefan's Constant = 5.67 × 10-8 W/m2/K4
1. Sunspots
(a) The typical temperature of a sunspot is about 4000K. Use Wein's law to calculate the
wavelength of peak thermal emission from the sunspot. What color does this wavelength
correspond to in the visible light spectrum? How does this color compare with that of the
Sun?1
(b) 'Granules in the photosphere has
dark boundaries' and 'Sunspots are
also dark'. Is there any different
mechanism for these to appear dark?
Explain.
(c) Why do magnetic fields keep
sunspot cooler than the surrounding
plasma?
(d) Why does sunspot appear darker?
2. Use Stefan's law to calculate how
much less energy (as a fraction) is
emitted per unit area of a 4500K sunspot than from the surrounding 5800K photosphere?
3. What is the difference between spicules and solar prominences?
[DU 2018 May, DU 2019 Dec]
4. List three characteristic features of Sunspot cycle. [DU 2017 Dec]
5. Describe any three solar activities. [DU 2022 Dec]
6. Calculate the frequency shift produced by the normal Zeeman effect in the center of sunspot
that has a magnetic field strength of 0.3 T. By what fraction would the wavelength of the
one component of the 630.25 nm Fe I spectral line change as a consequence of a magnetic
field? [DU 2022 Dec]
7. Write three features of Sunspots.
8. Explain the cause of Sunspot cycle.
9. What is Maunder minimum related to Sunspots? Why is it of interest?
10. The solar wind carries mass away from the Sun at a rate of about 2 million tons/s (1 ton =
1000Kg). At this rate how long would it take for all of the Sun mass to escape? M☉ = 2 ×
1030Kg.
11. Explain two observable phenomena from the Earth which indicates that mass is ejected
through solar winds by the Sun.
1
21st Century Astronomy, Laura Ray, Stacy Palen, Brad Smithand George Blumenthal, W. W. Norton & Company,
ISBN 978 - 0- 393 - 91878 - 6
5|Page
Dr Amit Tanwar, Department of Physics, Hindu College, University of Delhi
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Department of Physics, Hindu College
Dr Amit Tanwar
12. What is the meaning of Solar activity? Describe some of the features of solar activity,
including sunspots, solar prominences, solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
13. Observe the sunspots given in the figure below and answer the questions which follows:1
(a) What is the range in latitude over which sunspots appear?
(b) According to the figure, how do the positions of sunspots appear to change during one
sunspot cycle? Do they get closer to or farther from the equator with time?
(c) Which of the following years has the least sunspots cycle
.(i) 1900 (ii) 1930 (iii) 1950 (iv) 1970
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1
21st Century Astronomy, Laura Ray, Stacy Palen, Brad Smithand George Blumenthal, W. W. Norton & Company,
ISBN 978 - 0- 393 - 91878 - 6
6|Page
Dr Amit Tanwar, Department of Physics, Hindu College, University of Delhi
