Question

Why do dark areas on the Sun appear cooler than the rest of its visible surface?

a) They are farther from the Earth
b) They are made of different materials
c) They are 4,000 degrees cooler
d) They are closer to the equator

Answer 1

Dark areas on the Sun look cooler because they are sunspots with a lower temperature of about 3800 K compared to the surrounding photosphere's 5800 K.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dark areas on the Sun, known as sunspots, appear cooler than the rest of the Sun's visible surface because they are at a lower temperature. Specifically, the temperature of a typical sunspot is around 3800 K, which is cooler than the surrounding photosphere with a temperature of about 5800 K. These temperatures indicate that sunspots are cooler than the brighter regions around them, hence they look darker. Sunspots are caused by increased magnetic activity, and despite their cooler appearance, they are still hotter than many other stars' surfaces.