What are Sunspots?

Groups of black blotches appear on the sun every 11 years. These blotches are called Sunspots. They are areas that are about 1000 degrees celcius cooler than the rest of the sun's surface. Sunspots are caused by changes in the sun's magnetic field. When they appear, Sunspots cause radiation that often interferes with the radio and television signals on the earth. Some groups of Sunspots can be as much as 10 times the size of the earth.