Red Dwarfs Can Exhibit Starspots

Large cosmic freckles.

Similar to sunspots but proportionally larger, starspots on red dwarfs can cover significant fractions of the star’s surface.

Why This Matters

This affects luminosity and observations of orbiting planets.

It also gives insight into magnetic field activity in low-mass stars.

Did You Know?

Some red dwarfs are literally freckled with dark, magnetic spots.

Source

[NASA, nasa.gov]

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