sunspot
noun
sun·spot
ˈsən-ˌspät 
: any of the dark spots that appear at times on the sun's surface and are usually visible only through a telescope
Examples of sunspot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Considered our solar system's largest explosive events, solar flares occur when magnetic energy associated with sunspots is released, creating intense bursts of radiation.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
This program will discuss sunspots, solar winds, flares and coronal mass ejections.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2024
Solar activity varies in fairly predictable 11 year cycles, meaning there are more sunspots and flares at certain intervals.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
These binoculars are designed for crystal-clear views of sunspots, eclipses and planetary transits.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 20 Mar. 2024
Currently, the transition between the solar minimum (the period when the sun has the least number of sunspots) and the solar maximum (when the sun has the most sunspots) is in full swing.
—Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024
There will also be safe solar viewing of sunspots and solar flares.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024
But, there’s also fluctuation between cycles—some periods are more intense, and others, like the three decade Maunder minimum in the late 1600s, are almost entirely devoid of sunspots.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
During solar maximum, sunspots are prevalent and surface activity, such as flares, are more common than ever.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
This program will discuss sunspots, solar winds, flares and coronal mass ejections.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2024
Solar activity varies in fairly predictable 11 year cycles, meaning there are more sunspots and flares at certain intervals.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
These binoculars are designed for crystal-clear views of sunspots, eclipses and planetary transits.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 20 Mar. 2024
Currently, the transition between the solar minimum (the period when the sun has the least number of sunspots) and the solar maximum (when the sun has the most sunspots) is in full swing.
—Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 28 Feb. 2024
There will also be safe solar viewing of sunspots and solar flares.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024
But, there’s also fluctuation between cycles—some periods are more intense, and others, like the three decade Maunder minimum in the late 1600s, are almost entirely devoid of sunspots.
—Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024
During solar maximum, sunspots are prevalent and surface activity, such as flares, are more common than ever.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sunspot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sunspot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunspot. Accessed 15 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sunspot
noun
sun·spot
-ˌspät
: one of the dark spots that appear from time to time on the sun's surface and are usually visible only through a telescope
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