Goodbye, Sunspots
Instructions: COMPLETE ALL QUESTIONS AND MARGIN NOTES using the CLOSE reading strategies. This
requires reading of the article THREE times.
1. First Read: Number the Paragraphs. Skim the article and document your thinking by using the
following symbols as you read: (You must have at least one symbol per paragraph)
(+) agree, (-) disagree, (*) important, (!) surprising, (?) question, (C/E) cause & effect
2. Second Read: Read the article carefully and answer the questions that correspond with each section.
Use evidence from the text to help answer the questions.
3. Third read: A final quick read noting anything you may have missed during the first two reads. Answer
the comprehension questions at the end of the text after this read.
Student ____________________________________________Date_______________________Class Period__________________
1. Before Reading Poll
Sunspots are dark areas on the Sun's surface where no energy is being released.
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Agree
Disagree
Explain your thinking in the box below
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Achieve3000, August 24, 2011). There could be a big change in store for the sun.
Scientists are predicting the sun is headed into an unusual and extended period of hibernation—though not
one that will prevent it from giving off heat or light. In a recent study, solar experts have predicted that
sunspots may disappear for years—possibly even decades—starting around the year 2020.Scientists have
spent years monitoring sunspots, which are areas of intense magnetic fields. These fields appear dark
because they are cooler than their surroundings. Scientists have found that sunspots follow an 11-year cycle.
There are periods of high numbers of sunspots and periods of low numbers of sunspots. Scientists call this the
solar cycle" or "sunspot cycle." During active solar periods, hundreds of sunspots appear each day. During a
quiet period, many days can pass without the formation of a single sunspot.
2. What is a sunspot and why do they appear dark? What is a sunspot cycle or solar cycle?
The variations in the solar cycle affect not only the sun but Earth, too. The enormous magnetic field of the sun
dictates the solar cycle, which involves sunspots, solar wind, and ejection of fast-moving particles that
sometimes hit our planet. When sunspots are at their peak, there is increased magnetic activity and frequent
solar flares and storms. This can disrupt satellites, cell phones, and radio signals. It can also disrupt Global
Positioning Systems (GPS).
3. How do variations in the solar cycle affect Earth?
According to solar experts, the sun has been in an unusually quiet sunspot period for years now. The current
cycle started around 2009. Scientists have predicted that it will be the weakest in a century. Richard Altrock is
an astrophysicist. He also co-authored the recent study. Altrock tracks streamers from the solar corona. The
corona is the sun's outer atmosphere that is seen during eclipses. The streamers normally become active
around the sun's poles a few years before peak solar storm activity. Altrock said that this "rush to the poles"
would have happened by now, but it hasn't—and there's no sign of it yet. That also means the cycle set to
begin in 2020 is uncertain.
"The solar cycle is maybe [taking a break], sort of like a summertime TV show," said Frank Hill. Hill is associate
director of the National Solar Observatory.
4. How do “streamers” help scientists track solar cycles?
Scientists don't know why the sun is going quiet, but all the signs are there. Experts have based their
prediction on three changes in the sun: weakening magnetic fields surrounding sunspots, fewer solar streams
spewing from the poles of the sun's corona, and a disappearing solar jet stream. Those three cues show,
Altrock said, "There's a good possibility that the sun could be going into some sort of state from which it
takes a long time to recover."
5. What 3 clues give evidence that the sun could be going quiet?
Scientists say the upcoming decline in sunspot activity is nothing to worry about. Sunspot activity has little to
do with life-giving light and warmth from the sun. In fact, the effects from a calmer sun are mostly good. They
could include fewer disruptions of satellites and power systems.
"People shouldn't be scared of this," said David McComas, a scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in
San Antonio. "This is about the magnetic field and the [gases] coming out of the sun. It's a [change] in that,
not the light and the heat."
There are questions, however, about what diminished sunspot activity could mean for Earth's climate. In the
past, cycles of decreased solar activity have taken place during periods of cooler temperatures on Earth. Some
scientists have wondered if sunspot activity could be linked to global warming. Most scientists, however,
believe that global warming is the result of human activity. Hill and his colleagues won't yet discuss the effects
of a quiet sun on temperature or global warming.
"If our predictions are true, we'll have a wonderful experiment that will determine whether the sun has any
effect on global warming," Hill said.
6. What could diminished sunspot activity mean for Earth’s climate?
Dig Deeper
The Sun consists mostly of hydrogen gas. Energy is produced when hydrogen in the Sun's interior turns
into helium. This energy is the source of light and warmth that makes life possible on Earth. The Sun is
made entirely of gas. But it does have a structure. Energy produced in the center of the Sun flows out
through the Sun's layers in different forms. One of these forms is visible light.
The Sun's outer layers are called its atmosphere. These layers are much less dense than the interior. The
atmosphere generally becomes hotter as you move outward. It also becomes less dense.
Astronomers have observed features on the Sun that vary over time. Near the Sun's surface there are
regions of magnetic force. These are called magnetic fields. They get twisted into different positions as the
Sun rotates. In some areas on the Sun, there are strong magnetic fields. Features appear on the surface in
these areas.
Sunspots are spots on the sun that are cooler than surrounding areas. Sunspots appear dark. But they are
actually bright. They only seem dim because the rest of the photosphere is so much brighter.
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Sunspot activity follows a pattern. This pattern lasts about 11 years. At the peak of the cycle, dozens of
sunspots may appear. There may not be any sunspots during periods of low activity.
Sunspots move across the Sun's surface as it rotates. Their movement is how astronomers realized that
the Sun rotates. The Sun is not solid though. So, some parts rotate faster than others.
Other solar features include flares and prominences (PRAHM-uh-nuhn-sihz).
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Flares are eruptions of hot gas from the Sun's surface. They usually occur near sunspots.
Prominences are huge loops of glowing gas that extend into the corona. They occur where magnetic
fields connecting sunspots soar into the outer atmosphere.
Directions: Use the word bank to fill in the diagram below with the appropriate number. All boxes will
not be filled in!
Word Bank
7. Chromosphere,
8. photosphere,
9. corona,
10. Convective
zone,
11. core,
12. Sun spots,
13. Radiative zone
14. Solar Flare
15. Prominence
16. Use the space below to list 5 or more facts that you learned about sunspots from the article.
17. After Reading Poll
Sunspots are dark areas on the Sun's surface where no energy is being released.
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Agree
Disagree
After you read the article, do you agree or disagree? How has your opinion changed since the beginning?