An analysis of Stokes I and V profiles of 1.56 µm lines of sunspots near the solar limb shows that the magnetic field continues outside the visible contours of sunspots in the form of a low-lying superpenumbral canopy. We also find that the V profiles formed in the canopy exhibit the Evershed effect (with line shifts of 1–2 km s−1), while the matter below it shows no sign of a flow. Therefore, the Evershed effect definitely is present beyond the visible sunspot boundary. However, if we interpret the line shifts in terms of stationary flows, then only a small fraction of the matter seen to be flowing outwards in the penumbra can be accounted for by the outward flow in the superpenumbral canopy. Therefore, although the Evershed “flow” does not stop at the boundary of the spot, most of the flowing matter stops or disappears there.

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