Sunspots, the solar cycle and space weather

Grade 9 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Sunspot drawing: 3 groups, 14 spots in all. Bo counts 3 sunspot groups with 14 spots in all. What is the sunspot number (10 × groups + spots, NOAA)?

   • 140, ten for each spot
   • 30, from the groups alone
   • 44
   • 17, adding groups and spots
2. 2.

   5 groups, 22 spots in all. Esme counts 5 sunspot groups with 22 spots in all. What is the sunspot number?

   • 220, ten for each spot
   • 50, from the groups alone
   • 72
   • 27, adding groups and spots
3. 3.

   a blank solar disk. For a week, Jun sees no sunspot groups and no spots. What does this suggest?

   • The Sun is at solar maximum
   • The solar cycle has stopped for good
   • The Sun is near solar minimum
   • Sunspots are hiding behind brighter spots

4. Read this first

   Yearly sunspot number (model data shaped like Cycle 24)

   Year	Sunspot number
   2009	3
   2012	85
   2014	115
   2017	22
   2019	4

5. 4.

   About how many years did this cycle take to go from minimum to maximum, by Kira's math?

   • About 10 years, from 2009 to 2019
   • About 11 years
   • About 2 years
   • About 5 years
6. 5.

   NOAA says Cycle 25 began in December 2019. If it lasts about 11 years, about when should it end, by Luz's math?

   • Around 2041
   • Around 2020
   • Around 2030
   • Around 2025, at maximum
7. 6.

   Near solar maximum, satellites in low orbit slow down faster. Why, by Milo's reading (NOAA)?

   • The upper atmosphere shrinks at maximum
   • Sunspots pull satellites with gravity
   • Satellites run out of fuel faster in sunlight
   • The Sun heats the upper air, lifting denser air to their height

8. NOAA G scale

   Level	Kp	Average per 11-year cycle
   G1	5	1,700
   G3	7	200
   G5	9	4

9. 7.

   About how many G5 storms happen in an average 11-year cycle, by Pia's reading?

   • About 4
   • They do not happen
   • About 200
   • About 1,700, like G1

10. How far auroras reach (NOAA)

    Level	States	Geomagnetic latitude
    G3	Illinois and Oregon	about 50°
    G5	Florida and southern Texas	about 40°

11. 8.

    NOAA: G3 auroras have reached Illinois and Oregon (about 50° geomagnetic latitude); G5 auroras, Florida and southern Texas (about 40°). As storms grow, where do auroras go, by Ren's reading?

    • They stay at the same latitude
    • Toward the equator, to lower latitudes
    • Onto Earth's daytime side
    • Toward the poles
12. 9.

    A flare's X-rays cause a high-frequency radio blackout. Where on Earth, by Zee's reading (NOAA)?

    • On the night side, away from the Sun
    • On the sunlit side, in high-frequency radio
    • In underground cables
    • Everywhere, three days later
13. 10.

    “not to scale” A CME leaves the Sun at 1,500 km/s and travels 150 million km to Earth. About how many hours does it take, by Ari's math?

    • About 8 minutes
    • About 28 hours
    • About 100 hours
    • About 11 years