Solar cycle
The Butterfly Diagram
A plot of the latitudes at which sunspots appear over time, first drawn by the Maunders. Across each roughly eleven-year cycle, spots emerge first at mid-latitudes and then closer to the equator, so successive cycles trace wing-shaped patterns. It is the clearest visual summary of the solar activity cycle.
Highlights
- ›Sunspot latitudes drift equatorward each cycle
The Sun, its layers & phenomena
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Sun
- Associated withThe Solar Cycle
- Associated withSunspots
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.