Nigel Weiss obituary

Astrophysicist who studied the interaction between the rotation and magnetic field of the sun behind sunspots and solar flares

Nigel Weiss, who has died aged 83, was a world authority on the physics of sunspots and the mechanisms driving a cycle of solar activity that lasts for 11 years.

Sunspots appear as darker, cooler patches on the sun's surface that may last from a few days to a few months. They were noticed by ancient Chinese and Greek astronomers and came to prominence following telescopic observations by Galileo and others. The number of spots on the Sun at any time follows the 11-year cycle and the sun is slightly brighter during maximum activity.

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