Sunspots Fade on Their Own, New Study Suggests
Scientists found that the way a sunspot disappears is likely caused by the sunspot itself, not the solar weather happening around it.
The Drop
Why It Matters
The Catch
Put That in Perspective
Scientists have tracked sunspots for hundreds of years, but the high-tech sensors on modern space telescopes like the SDO allow us to see the magnetic structure of these spots in amazing detail for the first time. Future studies will likely look at whether even older or larger sunspots follow this same pattern of self-determined fading.
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