Its size is estimated to be 20 times that of Earth... NASA reveals a massive solar hole

2023-12-10 2023-12-10T08:44:31Z

Arabia Weather - A dark, giant spot has recently appeared on the surface of the sun, which is known as a coronal hole. It is a huge hole that exceeds the width of 60 Earth balls . This hole releases solar winds at high speeds towards the Earth, as a result of its opening to the surface of the sun.

The deep dark spot, or coronal hole, was formed near the solar equator on December 2 , reaching its maximum width of about 497,000 miles (800,000 kilometers) within 24 hours, and scientists say that the size of this gap is unprecedented at this stage of the solar cycle.

Experts initially expected this hole to produce a moderate G2 geomagnetic storm, which could lead to power outages and strong auroral phenomena. However, solar winds were less intense than expected, resulting in only a weak G1 storm until now.

It is still unclear how long the solar gap will maintain this size, but previous coronal holes have lasted for more than one solar cycle, the equivalent of 27 days , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). However, the hole is expected to soon move farther out of orbit. the earth.

The mystery of the giant coronal hole and unexpected developments

As the Sun approaches the explosive peak of its approximately 11-year solar cycle, known as “solar maximum,” solar activity is on the rise throughout the year. However, in a strange development, it appears that a new giant coronal hole does not form part of this expected increase in Solar activity.

Coronal holes appear at any time during the solar cycle, but they are usually most common during solar minimum, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). When they appear during solar maximum, they are usually located near the Sun's poles, not near the sun's poles. From the equator Therefore, it remains a mystery how such a massive hole opened near the equator when we are so close to solar maximum.

However, over the past few weeks, there have been many signs that the Sun is becoming more active, despite prior predictions.

The appearance of the "sunspot" archipelago

On November 18 , a massive “sunspot archipelago” consisting of five different clusters appeared on the near side of the sun, and since then we have seen dozens of solar storms launched into space. On November 25, a “Valley of Fire” explosion near the solar equator led to The launch of a coronal mass ejection (CME), a fast-moving cloud carrying magnetic plasma, which collided with Earth to trigger a rare orange aurora. On November 28 , a solar flare of approximately magnitude The low-latitude skies were illuminated by the aurora borealis over the weekend.

This current increase in solar activity is likely a sign that we are approaching solar maximum, and in October , scientists revised their predictions for the solar cycle, and now predict that the peak of eruptions could begin in early 2024.