Specialized tools such as spectroscopes and spectrohelioscopes are used to examine sunspots and sunspot areas. The same physical effect renders sunspots apparently dark in the photosphere. The Romans disliked wrinkles, freckles, sunspots, skin flakes and blemishes. At a solar minimum, there are fewer sunspots and solar flares subside. Observers confirmed the less-frequent sunspots and aurorae during the Maunder minimum. Alternative explanations include sunspots and aurorae. Scientists began speculating on possible relationships between sunspots and solar luminosity in the 17th century. Other magnetically-related phenomena include sunspots and solar faculae dispersed between the granules. Solar minimum is contrasted with the solar maximum, when hundreds of sunspots may occur. However, many properties of sunspots and active regions correlate with flaring. Today, they also incorporate observations of sunspots and other solar activity. The observed monthly sunspots exceeded 10 only in December. The telescope took more than 400 photographs of sunspots. Other observations followed, including the phases of Venus and the existence of sunspots. Correlation between sunspots and climate and tenuous at best.