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Sunspot Drawings Photosphere Observed from Sacramento Peak Solar Observatory

Published by DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC > National Geophysical Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: December 19, 2025 | Last Modified: 1947-09-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
The photosphere of the Sun has a temperature of around 6, 000 degrees K and is the region in which sunspot activity is located. Sunspots appear dark against the surface of the sun due to the sunspots lower temperatures. Sunspots are solar active regions having strong magnetic fields and propensity for erupting in the form of solar flares. They typically form near the solar equator. The National Solar Observatory (NSO) has provided the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) with a full set of daily solar sunspot drawings prepared by the Sacramento Peak (Sac Peak) Solar Observatory.

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