what do sunspots look like?

Sunspots have two main regions. A very dark part in the middle which is called the umbra and a less dark outer part called the penumbra. The temperature of the sunspot umbra is about 4,000 °C and so it appears dark because it is much cooler than the surrounding photosphere, which has a temperature of about 6,000 °C.

Sunspots appear dark because the centre is cooler than the surrounding area.

Did you know that if you saw sunspots on their own, they would be as bright as the bright part of the Moon - they only appear dark compared to the very bright surface of the Sun.