AR1520: Islands in the Photosphere . ... Credit Copyright: Alan Friedman ( Averted Imagination ) Explanation: Awash in a sea of plasma and anchored in magnetic fields , sunspots are planet-sized, dark islands in the solar photosphere , the bright surface of the Sun. ... In fact, an X-class solar flare and coronal mass ejection erupted from AR1520 on July 12, releasing some of the energy stored in the region's twisted magnetic fields. ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...