Learn what makes the sun look so happy.
Learning Objective: Students will get information about sunspots through text and images.
NASA/GSFC/SDO
This is a photo of the sun. Do you see two eyes and a little smile? They are dark spots on the sun. What are those dark spots?
Burning Star
The sun is a star. It is the closest star to our planet, Earth. Like all stars, it is not solid. It is made of burning hot gases.
Cool Parts
The dark spots are cooler places on the sun. They are not as bright as the rest of the sun. Sunspots pop up and then go away. This time, they made the sun look like a smiley face!
Seeing the Smile
You can see the dark spots only with a special telescope. Scientists have these powerful telescopes. But remember—you should never look right at the sun. It can hurt your eyes. Look at this happy picture instead!
