First I would like to thank you all for taking your time to answer these questions! I have shared this information with fellow friends who are teachers in the Nashville, Tennessee area.

I have a couple of questions. What is the difference between a solar flare and a sunspot? When looking at information regarding sunspots they are numbered, what does that mean and how are those numbers issued? And lastly, are solar flares stronger than sunspots in regards to the effects or an effect it can have on Earth?