Solar Activity - 1

Our Sun is a dynamic, active, and constantly changing star. Solar activity is driven by intense magnetic fields, generated deep within the solar interior then buoyantly rising up through its surface. Plasma caught in the magnetic field lines allows us to see these fields, as in the previous composite image.

On the left is a true color image of the Sun. The dark splotches are called sunspots. The image on the right, taken at the same time, is a map of the magnetic fields on the Sun. White indicates a positive field, and black a negative one (grey indicates little or no field). Note how the sunspots are associated with the magnetic fields – most activity on the Sun is a result of complex magnetic fields!