Solar Activity

Active Region or Sunspot Region

Area of enhanced magnetic field on the Sun's Surface.

Solar Flare

Intense brightening near the solar surface.

Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)

A magnetic bubble of gas that erupts from the Sun, spreading out into space at over million km/hour.

Prominence

A magnetically supported structure of relatively cool gas as compared to the surrounding corona. They can erupt and often do so with CMEs.

All these increase and decrease with the 11 year cycle in the Sun's magnetic field, and can occur together or independently.