A huge dark spot on the surface of the sun known as a ‘sunspot’ has not finished directing violent space weather in our direction.
Last week, the sunspot, called AR3590, emitted three solar flares: rapid bursts of intense, high-energy radiation.
This included one on February 22 that was recorded as the largest solar flare on record in six and a half years.
But AR3590 is now pointing almost directly at our planet and, according to experts, more powerful bursts of radiation could be heading our way.
These emissions wreak havoc on power grids and navigation signals, posing risks to spacecraft and astronauts, but could also cause beautiful auroras in the sky.
Often larger than planets, sunspots appear dark on the sun’s surface because they are cooler than other parts (although they are still very hot, about 6,500°F). In the photo, sunspot AR3590 with the Earth to scale.
this month #HelioGreatYear The topic is fashion, and guess who is in the spotlight?
Sun! ¿
Right now there is a sunspot group large enough to see without magnification! If you have solar or eclipse viewing glasses, see if you can spot it! pic.twitter.com/9HiwBd8Y6L
– NASA Sun and Space (@NASASun) February 26, 2024
Sunspots are cooler parts of the sun’s surface caused by massive changes in our star’s magnetic field.
Often larger than planets, sunspots appear dark on the sun’s surface because they are cooler than other parts (although they are still very hot, about 6,500°F).
On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, sunspot AR3590, estimated to be up to nine times larger than Earth, launched three powerful solar flares toward us.
All were described as class X solar flares, the largest type that can cause worldwide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms in the upper atmosphere.
The largest, measuring X6.3, was captured in a stunning NASA image.
At magnitude X6.3, it is the most powerful solar flare in seven years, since a burst in September 2017 caused radio blackouts for hours.
However, as the Earth orbits the Sun, sunspot AR3590 now points almost directly at the planet, having previously been at an angle.
This will likely cause an “increase in solar activity,” according to EspacioWeather.com.
On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, sunspot AR3590, estimated to be up to nine times larger than Earth, launched three powerful solar flares toward us.
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of the X6.3 solar flare (as seen in the bright flash at top left) on February 22, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the material extremely hot in flares and which is colored in bronze
The X6.3 solar flare is also the largest of the three that occurred on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The other two solar flares last week were X1.8 and X1.7, not as powerful.
It is unclear what damage, if any, the three have caused, although Earth Heaven They reportedly resulted in beautiful auroral displays at high latitudes, including Alaska and Norway.
EarthSky said the sunspot is now well positioned to fire a coronal mass ejection (CME) in our direction, which will likely trigger more auroras.
Solar flares are different from coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which eject solar material in the form of huge bubbles of charged particles (plasma) entangled with magnetic field lines.
However, both are key focuses of astronomers due to concerns that they cause space weather events that impact Earth.
Huge clouds of electrified gas spewed into space from these events travel at hundreds of kilometers per second to impact Earth’s magnetic field system.
This can affect technologies on our planet such as power grids, communications, GPS navigation, air travel and satellites.
The Northern Lights appear over Bamburgh Lighthouse in Northumberland, on the northeast coast of England, on November 5, 2023.
The Northern Lights seen over St Leonard’s Head in St Andrews, Scotland, on February 27, 2023
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of a solar flare, as seen in the bright flashes in the upper left area of the Sun, on February 21 and 22. The images show a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in the flares. and it is colored in teal
NOAA also said that the X6.3 solar flare is the largest to take place so far during the current solar cycle, which began in 2019.
The solar cycle is the cycle that the sun’s magnetic field goes through approximately every 11 years, before completely reversing and the sun’s north and south poles change places.
Scientists can track the solar cycle by counting the number of sunspots and exactly when they appear, primarily using satellites.
The beginning of an 11-year solar cycle, when the Sun has the fewest sunspots, is known as solar minimum, but over time the number of sunspots increases as solar maximum is reached.
A recent study predicted that solar maximum will arrive sooner than expected (probably this year), meaning space weather will be more pronounced.
“More intense storms can sometimes cause catastrophic orbital decay of satellites in low Earth orbit and disrupt satellite-based services such as communications and navigation networks,” said study author Dr. Dibyendu Nandi. , a physicist at the IISER Kolkata Center of Excellence in Space Sciences, India. , he told MailOnline.
«They can also cause strong disturbances in the geomagnetic field that trigger electrical networks located in high latitude regions.
“Of course, they also create beautiful auroras, so we can expect 2024 to be a good year for aurora hunters.”
WHAT IS THE SOLAR CYCLE?
The Sun is a huge, electrically charged ball of hot gas that moves, generating a powerful magnetic field.
This magnetic field goes through a cycle, called the solar cycle.
About every 11 years, the Sun’s magnetic field changes completely, meaning that the Sun’s north and south poles change places.
The solar cycle affects activity on the Sun’s surface, such as sunspots caused by the Sun’s magnetic fields.
Every 11 years, the Sun’s magnetic field changes, meaning the Sun’s north and south poles change places. The solar cycle affects activity on the Sun’s surface, increasing the number of sunspots during stronger phases (2001) than weaker ones (1996/2006).
One way to follow the solar cycle is by counting the number of sunspots.
The beginning of a solar cycle is a solar minimum, or when the Sun has the fewest sunspots. Over time, solar activity and the number of sunspots increase.
The middle of the solar cycle is solar maximum, or when the Sun has the most sunspots.
When the cycle ends, it returns to solar minimum and then begins a new cycle.
Giant flares on the Sun, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, also increase during the solar cycle.
These eruptions send powerful bursts of energy and material into space that can have effects on Earth.
For example, flares can cause lights in the sky, called auroras, or impact radio communications and power grids on Earth.