https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/dailymov/2024/03/16/20240316_1024_HMIB.mp4

Parent directory: https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/dailymov/2024/03/16/

Here you can see sunspot 3613 move faster than the local material around it. As if it is a ship leaving a wake through water. March 16; it begins toward bottom-mid of the Sun (maybe latitude 45S? not really sure yet how to enumerate all that).

As it moves to the right it gets closer to another developing sunspot. This phenomenon can be seen in multiple types of videos.

Can someone explain if sunspots tend to wander across the apparent surface like this?

Sunspots don't "move" as if they are an object moving across they surface. They are the result of strong magnetic fields preventing some heat from escaping, and thus appearing darker than the surrounding area. When you see a sunspot move its actually the magnetic field lines shifting and affecting a different part of the surface, imagine a sunspot is like a search light moving across the ground.

2 hours ago, Loganas said:

Sunspots don't "move" as if they are an object moving across they surface. They are the result of strong magnetic fields preventing some heat from escaping, and thus appearing darker than the surrounding area. When you see a sunspot move its actually the magnetic field lines shifting and affecting a different part of the surface, imagine a sunspot is like a search light moving across the ground.

Ok that's a really cool analogy thanks. There must be a physical property though as the temperature affects the plasma involved? But the driving force is the moving magnetic field, which makes sense. I suppose we could still look for structures such as wakes, ripples, or some kind of bow shock though?