sunspot

[suhn-spot] /ˈsʌnˌspɒt/
noun
1.
one of the relatively dark patches that appear periodically on the surface of the sun and affect terrestrial magnetism and certain other terrestrial phenomena.
Origin
1805-15; sun + spot
Related forms
sunspotted, adjective
sunspottedness, noun
Examples from the web for sunspots
  • The sunspots have continued to let loose smaller flares and may still be active now.
  • Solar flare activity stopped cold and weeks and months went by without any sunspots, or areas of intense magnetism.
  • Twice a day visitors can glimpse sunspots, flares, and other solar activity.
  • sunspots are regions of intense magnetic activity on the sun's surface.
  • The silhouette of the plane's wing crosses above a section dotted with sunspots.
  • The circular blemishes on the solar surface are sunspots, regions of intense magnetic activity.
  • The sunspots are darker, deeper, and cooler than the photosphere.
  • sunspots have long been known to appear and disappear from the sun's surface.
  • More sunspots mean stormier stellar climes, although it is clear sailing for the time being.
  • Consequently, it is possible that some link exists between sunspots and seismic activity.
British Dictionary definitions for sunspots

sunspot

/ˈsʌnˌspɒt/
noun
1.
any of the dark cool patches, with a diameter of up to several thousand kilometres, that appear on the surface of the sun and last about a week. They occur in approximately 11-year cycles and possess a strong magnetic field
2.
(informal) a sunny holiday resort
3.
(Austral) a small cancerous spot produced by overexposure to the sun
Derived Forms
sunspotted, adjective
Word Origin and History for sunspots

sunspot

n.

1868, in astronomy, from sun (n.) + spot (n.). Earlier "a spot on the skin caused by exposure to the sun" (1818).

sunspots in Science
sunspot
  (sŭn'spŏt')   
Any of the dark, irregular spots that usually appear in groups on the surface of the Sun (its photosphere), lasting from a few days to several weeks or more. Sunspots appear dark because they are cooler, by up to 1,500°K, than the surrounding photosphere. They are associated with strong magnetic fields and solar magnetic storms moving in a vortex pattern, similar to a tornado on Earth. The number of sunspots waxes and wanes over an 11-year period; at maximum activity there are often increased numbers of solar flares.
sunspots in Culture

sunspots definition


Dark spots on the surface of the sun caused by magnetic storms.

Note: The number of sunspots goes through a maximum and minimum about every eleven years. During periods of maximum sunspots, the elementary particles associated with the spots cause disturbances in the atmosphere of the Earth and interfere with radio and television communication.
sunspots in Technology


1. Notional cause of an odd error. "Why did the program suddenly turn the screen blue?" "Sunspots, I guess."
2. Also the cause of bit rot - from the myth that sunspots will increase cosmic rays, which can flip single bits in memory. See also phase of the moon.
[Jargon File]