Question

As the sun rotates, an individual sunspot can be tracked across its face from east to west, takes about _____.

a) 10 hours
b) 15 days
c) 1 month
d) 27 days

Answer 1

As the sun rotates, an individual sunspot can be tracked across its face from east to west, taking approximately 27 days. This period is called the solar rotation period.

Step-by-step explanation:

As the sun rotates, an individual sunspot can be tracked across its face from east to west, which takes about 27 days. According to observations, Galileo in 1612 used the apparent motion of sunspots to demonstrate the Sun's rotation period.

The rotation period of the Sun at the equator is approximately 25 days, but it exhibits differential rotation, meaning it varies at different latitudes - being about 28 days at 40° latitude, and about 36 days at 80° latitude. Sunspots allow us to track solar rotation and understand the sunspot cycle, which averages 11 years.