the.com/starspots
a star's version of a bruise: cooler, darker, magnetically pissed off.
means temporary patches on a star's surface that are cooler and dimmer than their surroundings because tangled magnetic fields suppress the convection that carries heat up.
from named by analogy to sunspots, first noted on the sun by galileo-era observers and later inferred on distant stars through periodic dimming as spots rotate in and out of view.
sizecan cover far more surface area than sunspots ever do
causemagnetic fields trap plasma, blocking heat convection locally
detectionfound by watching starlight flicker as spots rotate
lifespansome persist for years, unlike the sun's weeks
for instance
sun — our nearest star, spots visible with basic filtered telescopes
hd 12545 — giant star with a spot bigger than the sun itself
ab doradus — young fast-rotating star mapped with huge polar spots
xx trianguli — shows spot cycles used to study stellar magnetic activity