How does sunspots effect lie on earth?

Sunspots are portions of the sun that are cooler than the surrounding material and look darker even without the aid of a telescope. The cooler temperatures create increased magnetic activity. An increased amount of sunspots can cause more solar wind to flow from the sun. Solar wind is a flow of charged particles that are able to escape the sun's atmosphere because of their increased energy. Some astronomers believe parts of comet tails are also the result of solar wind. The particles in the solar wind can interact with the upper part of the earth's atmosphere, called the ionosphere.

Sunspots occur in cycles or seasons, just as many regions on earth have a rainy season. A sunspot sighted on January 4, 2008 began a new 11-year cycle (Sunspot Cycle 24). High levels of solar wind can even bring a solar storm where large quantities of magnetized material is send into the earth's atmosphere. Though not physically dangerous, this material interferes with electronic equipment. A solar storm has the potential to knockout communications satellites, interfere with radio waves, and destroy GPS data.