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Sun Spots

Photo by Rob Taylor, RASC Ottawa CentreIf you looked in a telescope with a solar filter attached, you would see sunspots like this picture. Sunspots are cooler than the rest of the Sun, so they look dark. The spots can last for several days or weeks. The spots are caused by strong magnetic fields. When the magnetic field is extremely strong, tremendous explosions occur, called solar flares, heating material of the Sun to millions of degrees in just seconds and blasting tons of material into space.
Dancing Northern LightsThis energy can heat up the Earth’s atmosphere, damage satellites and pose a threat to astronauts. The material can also create beautiful Aurora, also known as Northern Lights, as seen from Ottawa. The picture on the right shows how they form a ring, dancing around the north pole. (Click on the left picture to see another photo.)
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