Do sunspots affect the climate here on Earth?
Sunspots are slightly cooler areas on the surface of the Sun, due to the intense magnetic fields. There is a little bit more radiation coming from the Sun when it has more sunspots, but the effect is so small that it has very little (direct) impact on the weather and climate on Earth. However, there are many important indirect effects. Sunspots are associated with so-called ‘active regions’, which are large magnetic structures containing very hot material. They cause more ultraviolet radiation (the rays that give you a suntan or sunburn) and extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV). These types of radiation affect the chemistry of the upper atmosphere (for example, producing ozone). Many active regions produce giant outflows of material, called Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). These drag with them some of the more intense magnetic fields found in the active regions. The magnetic fields act as a shield for high-energy particles coming from outside the Solar System. These ‘cosmic rays’ cause io
