AR3664 is no ordinary sunspot.
The giant dark region on the Sun’s surface has ballooned in recent days, becoming one of the largest and most active regions. sunspots I saw it solar cycle.
AR3664 came to the attention of scientists earlier this week when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center issued a warning about the increased risk of solar flares from the solar giant on Tuesday, May 7.
“Area 3664 has grown significantly and become much more magnetically complex.” NOAA’s SWPC reports. “This has led to an increased likelihood of solar flares over the next few days.”
The giant sunspot exceeded expectations. There have been numerous powerful solar flares in recent days, including a massive X-class solar flare that peaked at 5:13 a.m. EDT (0913 GMT) this morning (May 9).
Relating to: The sun erupts with powerful solar flares caused by hyperactive sunspots (video)
sunlight They are explosions originating from the sun’s surface that emit intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation. They are divided into letter groups according to their size; Class X is the strongest. Then came the M-class flares, which were 10 times less powerful than the come flares, and finally, class A flares, which are 10 times weaker than class B flares. no visible results On earth. In each class, numbers 1 through 10 (and beyond that for class X flares) describe the relative power of a flare.
This morning’s X flare occurred at X 2.25 measured by NASA’s GOES-16 satellite, according to spaceweatherlive.com.
Radio blackouts
Powerful solar flares like the one observed this morning could cause shortwave radio blackouts on the sunny side of the planet. Soil at the moment of explosion. This morning’s X-flare caused shortwave radio outages in Europe and Africa, as seen in the image above.
The radio blackouts are caused by the powerful X-ray pulse and the extreme ultraviolet radiation emitted during the explosion.
Radiation moves towards Earth. speed of light and ionizes the upper part (gives an electric charge). earth atmosphere. (Note: this should not be confused with ionizing X-rays. coronal mass breakthroughs Exploding plasma and magnetic fields (CMEs) Suntraveling at slower speeds, usually taking several days to reach Earth).
This ionization results in a higher density medium for high-frequency shortwave radio signals to travel to support communication over long distances. Interacting radio waves electrons Energy is lost due to more frequent collisions in ionized layers, which can cause radio signals to be distorted or completely absorbed. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
Sunspot visible from Earth
Spanning almost 124,000 (200,000 kilometers) across, sunspot AR3664 is now 15 times wider than our home planet. spaceweather.com.
It is so large that it can be seen from Earth without needing to magnify. If you still have a pair solar eclipse After the total solar eclipse on April 8, you can use the glasses you have lying around to safely observe the sun and see the giant sunspot pass through the solar disk.
But remember, NEVER look at the sun without proper sun protection. You can learn how to observe the sun safely with our useful apps. sun observation guide.
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Rival to Carrington’s sunspot
Sunspot AR3664’s massive size rivals Carrington’s sunspot of 1859. Image from Spaceweather.com. Carrington’s sunspot is known for an explosive attack that occurred between August and September 1859; Meanwhile, a series of powerful solar flares and CMEs were ignited, causing massive geomagnetic storms that ignited and triggered telegraph offices. auroras It is as close to the Equator as Cuba and Hawaii.
Read more: Carrington Event: The biggest solar storm in history
Despite Studies show that While Carrington-class solar storms occur every 40 to 60 years (and we’re long overdue on that), there’s no evidence this week that any CME from earlier solar flares could cause a new Carrington Event, according to Spaceweather.com .
Scientists are closely monitoring this ever-growing sunspot as it continues to point toward Earth.