Astronomy Picture of the Day -- AR 2192: Giant on the Sun

NASA ^ | October 24, 2014 | (see photo credit)

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Explanation: As you (safely!) watched the progress of yesterday's partial solar eclipse, you probably also spotted a giant sunspot group. Captured in this sharp telescopic image from October 22nd the complex AR 2192 is beautiful to see, a sprawling solar active region comparable in size to the diameter of Jupiter. Like other smaller sunspot groups, AR 2192 is now crossing the Earth-facing side of the Sun and appears dark in visible light because it is cooler than the surrounding surface. Still, the energy stored in the region's twisted magnetic fields is enormous and has already generated powerful explosions, including two X-class solar flares this week. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) associated with the flares have not affected planet Earth, so far. The forecast for further activity from AR 2192 is still significant though, as it swings across the center of the solar disk and Earth-directed CMEs become possible.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Randall Shivak and Alan Friedman (Averted Imagination)]

[SunkenCiv]

The Big One

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We should send a special delegation there to study this phenomenon.

Since sunspots show up as Black on an otherwise brilliant yellow sun, it is suspected that Sunspots are inherently racist.

Therefore, I propose that we send a team of 80 Experts on Racism for this once-in-a-lifetime study trip.

That would be the Congressional Black caucus. All Aboard!