Can you see dark spots on the surface of the sun without looking directly at it? Sunspots are cooler patches on the sun's surface. They appear as small dark specks when projected onto paper. Point a telescope toward the sun and hold white paper near the eyepiece. The sun's disk appears on the paper. Adjust the focus until the image is sharp. Dark spots become visible on the projected disk. No telescope? Poke a small hole in a shoebox and aim it at the sun. The sun's image projects onto the inside of the box.