sunspot

noun

sun·​spot ˈsən-ˌspät How to pronounce sunspot (audio)
: 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 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 Astronomer Andrew Ellicott Douglass realized trees can give scientists a glimpse into the past, discovering a correlation between the annual rings trees produce and sunspot cycles. The Arizona Republic, 19 Feb. 2024 Common outcomes include sunspots, wrinkles, and saggy skin caused by loss of elastin fibers. Keyvan Nouri, M.d., Jessica Cervantes and John Tsatalis, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 When the sun is at its quietest, with nary a sunspot, its magnetic field is strong and orderly, with a tidy magnetic pole at the star’s top and bottom. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 18 Jan. 2024 Each sunspot comes in a pair; one is magnetically positive, and the other is negative. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2023 Earth is currently approaching the peak of Solar Cycle 25, in which more sunspots with intense magnetic activity are expected, according to NOAA. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Jan. 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.

Word History

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sunspot was in 1676

Dictionary Entries Near sunspot

Cite this Entry

“Sunspot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunspot. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sunspot

noun
sun·​spot -ˌspät How to pronounce sunspot (audio)
: one of the dark spots that appear from time to time on the sun's surface and are usually visible only through a telescope

More from Merriam-Webster on sunspot

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