Which solar feature is strongly associated with magnetic fields and appears as relatively dark spots on the Sun's surface?

• A. Prominence
• B. Solar flare
• C. Sun spots
• D. Solar wind

Answer: (C)

Sunspots are patches on the Sun’s photosphere where intense magnetic activity blocks convection, so less heat gets to those areas. That reduced heat makes the spots cooler than the surrounding surface, and cooler regions look darker against the bright solar disk. They often appear in groups and move with the Sun’s magnetic cycle, serving as a visible sign of magnetic activity on the Sun. Other features fit different roles: prominences are bright magnetic-loops structures in the outer atmosphere, not dark surface spots; solar flares are sudden brightenings from magnetic energy release; and the solar wind is a steady stream of charged particles flowing away from the Sun, not a surface feature.