Sunspots are really, really big. Many sunspots are as big as Earth. Earth never really gets this close to the Sun. We made up this picture with Earth next to sunspots so you could see how big sunspots are.
Click on image for full size
Original Windows to the Universe artwork by Randy Russell using images from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (sunspot image) and NASA (Earth image).

Sizes of Sunspots

Sunspots are very, very BIG!

Most sunspots could swallow a planet! Many sunspots are as big as Earth! Once in a while, huge sunspots the size of Jupiter show up on the Sun.

Most spots are about 1,500 km (932 miles) to around 50,000 km (31,068 miles) across. The Sun sure is a big place!

Last modified September 6, 2005 by Jennifer Bergman.

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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA