Solar Week - Ask a Question

Mary C,

Have sunspots ever been seen near the sun's poles? If not, why?

Hi Mary,

Sunspots closest to the poles that have been seen are at about 50 degrees north or south latitudes. That is a little over half way from the solar equator to either of the poles, and as you’d agree that is not very near the sun’s poles at all. An apparent reason for the sunspots not to appear near the poles is that the magnetic fields around the poles are never strong enough (You may already know-sunspots are those regions with very strong magnetic fields). Now why regions with strong magnetic fields never appear at the sun’s poles. This is a big question that solar physicists are still working on. We have some clue though. It is a result of the interactions between the magnetic fields and the motions inside the Sun. But how exactly the processes work is not completely understood. It is called the solar dynamo problem. Have you seen the famous “Butterfly Diagram”?  http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/sun/activity/butterfly.html

Yan

Hi Mary,

Sunspots closest to the poles that have been seen are at about 50 degrees north or south latitudes. That is a little over half way from the solar equator to either of the poles, and as you’d agree that is not very near the sun’s poles at all. An apparent reason for the sunspots not to appear near the poles is that the magnetic fields around the poles are never strong enough (You may already know-sunspots are those regions with very strong magnetic fields). Now why regions with strong magnetic fields never appear at the sun’s poles. This is a big question that solar physicists are still working on. We have some clue though. It is a result of the interactions between the magnetic fields and the motions inside the Sun. But how exactly the processes work is not completely understood. It is called the solar dynamo problem. Have you seen the famous “Butterfly Diagram”?  http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/sun/activity/butterfly.html

Yan