A starspot is a relatively cool, dark region on a star's surface associated with a magnetic field. Starspots change the light curve as the star rotates. A planet crossing a starspot blocks less light than it would from an unspotted region, producing a local upward anomaly during an exoplanet transit; unocculted starspots can instead deepen the normalized exoplanet transit depth. They can also distort spectral lines and imitate a Doppler spectroscopy signal.
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"Starspot" can refer to a couple of different concepts, depending on the context: 1. **Astronomy**: In the context of stars, a "starspot" is analogous to a sunspot on the Sun. Starspots are cooler, darker areas on the surface of a star caused by magnetic activity. They can affect the radiation output of the star and can be important for understanding stellar activity and behavior.