Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 10/3/2004

Question
how are sunsppots formed?

Answer
Hi,
Sorry Brenda, I was a bit tied up with work and could not reply to you earlier.
On second thoughts I think this link will help you more than me just saying "the solar magnetic field when disturbed, causes sun spots", as there is good amount of info on it at these sites on the web.(I do hope you have web access at home).
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/sun/sunspots.shtml
another very interesting link on the sun is :-
http://science.howstuffworks.com/sun4.htm

Last but not the least, the 11 year sun spot cycle has something to do with jupiter as some people suggest.
look up here:-
http://www.tilmari.pp.fi/tilmari6.htm
or
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/explore/faq/sunspots.html#JUPITER_AND_SUNSPOTS

(click the link on this page titled
"Does Jupiter have any influence on the solar cycle? Both have periods just over 11 years." or one link above and below this one, on the same page; last 3 links listed on the sunspots.html#JUPITER_AND_SUNSPOTS page).

happy surfing!
Jayen