“Sunspot 875 Flares”
Okay, stupid question, is the number just a recording device, like for tornatoes/hurricanes/ and other weather systems, or does it refer to topography or some feature of the sun. Either way, does the sun have topography that can be mapped?
Sunspots can last a long time, so it is convenient to number them, either individually or by region if there are lots of them clustered together. Click on the picture and it will take you to a bunch of web sites with more explanations.
djm
For some reason it worked this time. It still leaves the question is "topography” used for the sun?
I don’t believe I have ever seen it used, and it would not make much sense to me if it were. Topography refers to surface features on dry land. The sun is a roiling ball of hot gases. There are no solid surfaces on which to find features as in the word “topography”.
djm
Yet the eye of Jupiter is the same thing, right?
Its a storm, not the same kind of storm as a sunspot, but its a storm. You don’t see the word “topography” used to describe the shape of clouds on Earth, so I wouldn’t expect to see it used for clouds on Jupiter, either.
djm
That’s hot!