Sunspots are the cooler and dimmer regions on the surface of the Sun. They are ever-changing, just like the Sun itself.

Continuous monitoring of sunspots shows that sunspots can last from a few hours to months, and are carried around the solar surface by the Sun's rotation. Sunspots expand, contract, split and decay, leading to their constant changes in size, shape and number.

Over time, scientists have noticed a pattern in the number of sunspots. The number of sunspots reaches maximum every 11 years, and then gradually decreases to almost zero when a new cycle begins. Scientists defined 1755 to be the start of Solar Cycle 1 and we are now in Solar Cycle 25 with peak sunspot activity expected in 2025.

Change is the only constant in life, and this applies not only to us but also the Sun and its little spots.

(Video made from photos taken from 3 – 13 March 2022 by the Hong Kong Space Museum. ⚠️Always use a camera equipped with safe sunlight filtering system for photographing the Sun. Do not look at the Sun directly.⚠️)