Solar plage facts for kids

Plage often appear as bright patches around active regions in the chromosphere. Plage are commonly observed around or surrounding sunspots, as both are phenomena associated with active regions.

A plage (pronounced "plahj") is a bright, glowing area on the Sun. You can usually find these bright spots in and around the Sun's active regions. These are places where the Sun's magnetic field is very strong and busy.

Plage are found in the Sun's chromosphere. This is the layer of the Sun's atmosphere just above its visible surface. They look like bright patches, especially when viewed through special filters.

What Does "Plage" Mean?

The word "plage" comes from French. It means "bright regions." A scientist named Henri-Alexandre Deslandres used this term in 1893. He was describing these bright areas on the Sun.

Some people thought the name came from the French word for "beach." However, this is not correct. The name simply means "bright regions" and describes what they look like.

What Are Plage Like?

Plage are bright because they are hotter and denser than the areas around them. They are often seen near sunspots. Sunspots are darker, cooler areas on the Sun. Both plage and sunspots are signs of active regions.

Scientists used to identify plage by how bright they looked in certain light. Now, they mostly identify them by looking at the strong magnetic fields beneath them. These magnetic fields are very important.

Magnetic Fields and Plage

The magnetic fields in plage are very strong. On the Sun's surface, they are concentrated in small lanes. As you go higher into the Sun's atmosphere, these magnetic fields spread out. They form a kind of magnetic "canopy."

These magnetic fields are thought to be left over from areas where new magnetic energy has risen to the Sun's surface. Plage act like "footprints" for loops of hot gas that extend into the Sun's outer atmosphere.

Why Are Plage Important?

Plage play a role in heating the Sun's outer atmosphere, called the corona. The corona is much hotter than the Sun's surface. Scientists are still trying to understand why. Plage are an important link in this process. They help transfer energy from the Sun's surface to its outer layers.

See also

• Solar cycle
• Solar spicule
• Solar granule