  The paper presents the results of the analysis of the geometric
characteristics of sunspots for the period of 19-24 cycles of activity. The
shape of sunspots was studied on the basis of the method of normalization of
images of sunspots to study the average profile of the spot. The deviation of
the shape of sunspots from the axisymmetric configuration is investigated. It
was found that the spots, as a rule, have an ellipsoid shape, and the major
axis of the ellipse has a predominant inclination to the equator, opposite in
the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The angle of inclination of the sunspot
axis corresponds to the angle of inclination of the bipoles in the activity
cycles. The relationship between the shape of sunspots in the current cycle and
the amplitude of the next cycle of activity is found. The greater the
elongation along the longitude of the current cycle of spots, the higher the
next cycle of activity will be.
