A sunspot is a region on the Sun's surface (photosphere) that is marked by a lower temperature than its surroundings and has intense magnetic activity, which inhibits convection, forming areas of low surface temperature. Although they are blindingly bright at temperatures of roughly 4000-4500 K, the contrast with the surrounding material at about 5800 K leaves them clearly visible as dark spots. If they were isolated from the surrounding photosphere they would be brighter than an electric arc. A minimum in the eleven-year sunspot cycle is predicted for 2007 . Sunspots are often related to intense magnetic activity such as coronal loops and reconnection. Most solar flares and coronal mass ejections originate in magnetically active regions around sunspot groupings.