Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2026 February 11 [2]An image of the Sun is surrounded by 12 smaller Sun images. Each surrounding image has some spots on it, but the large central image has the most dark spots. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. A Year of Sunspots Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]SDO; Processing & Copyright: [5]Şenol Şanli & [6]Uğur İkizler; Text: [7]Cecilia Chirenti ([8]NASA [9]GSFC, [10]UMCP, [11]CRESST II) Explanation: How many [12]sunspots can you see? The [13]central image shows the many sunspots that occurred in 2025, month by month around the circle, and all together in the grand central image. Each [14]sunspot is magnetically cooled and so appears dark -- and can last from days to months. Although the [15]featured images originated from [16]NASA's [17]Solar Dynamics Observatory, sunspots can be easily seen with a small telescope or [18]binoculars equipped with a [19]solar filter. Very large sunspot groups like [20]recent AR 4366 can even be seen with [21]eclipse glasses. Sunspots are still [22]counted by eye, but the total number is not considered exact because they frequently [23]change and break up. Last year, 2025, coincided with a [24]solar maximum, the period of most intense magnetic activity during its 11-year [25]solar cycle. Our Sun remains [26]unpredictable in many ways, including when it ejects [27]solar flares that will impact the [28]Earth, and [29]how active the next solar cycle will be. Tomorrow's picture: open space __________________________________________________________________ [30]< | [31]Archive | [32]Submissions | [33]Index | [34]Search | [35]Calendar | [36]RSS | [37]Education | [38]About APOD | [39]Discuss | [40]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [41]Robert Nemiroff ([42]MTU) & [43]Jerry Bonnell ([44]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [45]Specific rights apply. [46]NASA Web Privacy, [47]Accessibility, [48]Notices; A service of: [49]ASD at [50]NASA / [51]GSFC, [52]NASA Science Activation & [53]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2602/Sunspots2025_SdoSanli_3450.jpg 3. https://www.nasa.gov/ 4. https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 5. https://www.instagram.com/snlsanli/ 6. https://www.instagram.com/uikizler/ 7. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sci/bio/cecilia.bertonimarthahadlerchirenti 8. https://www.nasa.gov/ 9. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/ 10. https://www.astro.umd.edu/people/cecilia-chirenti 11. https://cresst2.umd.edu/ 12. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/sunspots/ 13. https://www.instagram.com/p/DTHxItFjaUe/ 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230517.html 15. https://www.instagram.com/p/DTHxItFjaUe/ 16. https://www.nasa.gov/ 17. https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binoculars#/media/File:Binocularp.svg 19. https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/optics-filters 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260208.html 21. https://www.planetary.org/articles/are-your-solar-eclipse-glasses-safe 22. https://www.sidc.be/SILSO/dayssnplot 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150629.html 24. https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-noaa-sun-reaches-maximum-phase-in-11-year-solar-cycle/ 25. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/solar-cycles/ 26. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AgzTBzVXY_w/hq720.jpg 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180902.html 28. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/ 29. https://www.sidc.be/SILSO/yearlyssnplot 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260210.html 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 36. https://apod.com/feed.rss 37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 39. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260211 40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260212.html 41. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 42. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 43. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 44. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 45. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 46. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 47. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 48. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 49. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 50. https://www.nasa.gov/ 51. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 52. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 53. http://www.mtu.edu/