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                           Astronomy Picture of the Day   
      
       Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our   
         fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation   
                       written by a professional astronomer.   
      
                                    2023 May 17   
         Dark spots against a yellow background are shown. When viewed in   
         detail, a light bridge crosses the largest spot, while the yellow   
       background appears composed of small, irregularly shaped components.   
             Please see the explanation for more detailed information.   
      
                             Sunspot with Light Bridge   
                      Image Credit & Copyright: Mark Johnston   
      
      Explanation: Why would a small part of the Sun appear slightly dark?   
      Visible is a close-up picture of sunspots, depressions on the Sun's   
      surface that are slightly cooler and less bright than the rest of the   
      Sun. The Sun's complex magnetic field creates these cool regions by   
      inhibiting hot material from entering the spots. Sunspots can be larger   
      than the Earth and typically last for about a week. Part of active   
      region AR 3297 crossing the Sun in early May, the large lower sunspot   
      is spanned by an impressive light bridge of hot and suspended solar   
      gas. This high-resolution picture also shows clearly that the Sun's   
      surface is a bubbling carpet of separate cells of hot gas. These cells   
      are known as granules. A solar granule is about 1000 kilometers across   
      and lasts for only about 15 minutes.   
      
        Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?   
                                    (post 1995)   
                          Tomorrow's picture: star debris   
        __________________________________________________________________   
      
          Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)   
               NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.   
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                         A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,   
                              NASA Science Activation   
                                & Michigan Tech. U.   
      
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