The fact that dark patterns appear on our luminary from time to time is evidenced by a popular saying expressing the opinion that there is nobody and nothing perfect in the world: "And there are spots on the Sun." Such phenomena were observed for a long time with the naked eye, and annals testify to this. For example, Russian chronicles mention that spots on the Sun were visible “aka nails”. Indeed, if you observe the main star of our system through smoked glass, you can see several points, sometimes gathering in figures of a larger or smaller size. What is this phenomenon, and what effect does it have for the inhabitants of the earth?
First of all, it must be said that in order to see spots on the Sun without a telescope, they must have a diameter of at least one hundred thousand kilometers, which is several tens of times the size of our planet. And it is clear that such a huge cataclysm cannot go unnoticed on Earth, because life on our planet depends entirely on solar energy. So what happens there, on a fiery surface, millions of kilometers from here? This question has been asked by people before. Galileo Galilei sketched the observed dark points, and noted that they are heterogeneous. They consist of a black core (Galileo called it a shadow) and a semi-dark circle (partial shade).
The ingenious scientist was one of the first to note that spots on the Sun are not observed uniformly everywhere, but at its mid-latitudes. It is as if they originate at the poles, and then “slide” to the equator, but never reach it. In 1841, scientists concluded that such a "spotting" of the luminary has its own frequency - about 11 years. First, rare, scattered, small dots appear, then there are more and more of them, they accumulate in a group in which two giant dark surfaces appear - on the eastern and western outskirts of the group. Having studied the polarity of these phenomena in the 20th century, scientists came to the conclusion that they are like two opposite poles of a magnet.
Why does a spot appear on the sun? Astrologers attribute this phenomenon to an increase in the activity of the star’s magnetic field (by the way, it also has a frequency of 11 years). The enhanced circulation of the solar plasma, frequent emissions of prominences give rise to the process of the appearance of magnetic fields. This, in turn, leads to the fact that in a certain place the temperature of the substance drops by one and a half thousand degrees compared with the surrounding surface of the photosphere. Since the radiation in the “colder” place is weakening, our eye perceives this area as a dark spot.
Do the appearing and disappearing dark points on the solar disk play a role in the ordinary course of life on Earth? On their own, probably not. But since sunspots indicate an increasing activity of the star, they serve as a “storm warning” to us, people. Magnetic storms and increased particle flux not only affect the increase in blood pressure, which is fraught with hypertension, not only increase the risk of cardiovascular attacks in those who are predisposed to them, but also lead to a headache and a feeling of incomprehensible fatigue in completely healthy people. Moreover, solar activity can even impede the operation of broadcast towers, communications between pilots and ground controllers and disrupt mobile communications.
But age spots from the sun depend very indirectly. The skin element responsible for the production of melanin and darkening of the skin (as a general tan or as a dark spot) is produced under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The more of these rays we absorb, the more melanin the skin produces. But our exposure to UV waves depends, rather, not on the sun, but on the protection of the Earth by the atmospheric layer. The notorious ozone hole - a consequence of our negligent attitude to ecology - thins the protective layer of the atmosphere, therefore, ultraviolet radiation intensifies. Also important are seasonal variations in atmospheric temperature. For example, in the spring (May - June) the upper layers are not yet warmed up, and the sun rises already high. Therefore, the May tan is the most dangerous: it can lead to the appearance of unwanted spots and sunburn.