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Last month, a large geomagnetic storm hit the Earth’s atmosphere, disrupting radio and GPS, according to models by both NASA and NOAA.
SPACE.com ^ | 9 February 2024 | By Daisy Dobrijevic

Posted on 02/09/2024 12:07:52 PM PST by Red Badger

The sunspot group is now facing Earth.

The sunspot group is more than 15 times the diameter of Earth. (Image credit: NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams)

A sunspot so large it was seen from the surface of Mars is now facing Earth.

The gargantuan sunspot group AR3576 from end to end stretches for more than 124,274 miles (200,000 kilometers) and contains at least four dark cores each larger than Earth, according to Spaceweather.com. It was imaged by NASA's Perseverance Rover from the surface of Mars just last week.

The sunspot is so big it can be seen from Earth without the need for complex viewing equipment. Just don a pair of certified eclipse glasses and look up! For more information on how to safely view the sun check out our handy sun viewing guide.

Sunspots are dark, cooler regions on the surface of the sun that can spawn eruptive disturbances such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — large releases of plasma and magnetic field from the sun.

The frequency and intensity of sunspots visible on the surface can be used to indicate the level of solar activity at any given time during the 11-year solar cycle that is driven by the sun's magnetic field. As we approach solar maximum — the highest rate of activity — sunspot regions such as AR3576 are becoming more frequent.

Sunspot AR3576 as viewed by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. (Image credit: NASA / SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams. Image created in Canva by Daisy Dobrijevic)

The magnetically complex sunspot is already crackling with M-class solar flares, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts predict this sunspot could pose a threat for X-class solar flares — the most powerful type of solar flare.

Solar flares are triggered when magnetic energy builds up in the solar atmosphere and is released in an intense burst of electromagnetic radiation. They are categorized by size into lettered groups, with X-class being the most powerful. Then there are M-class flares that are 10 times smaller than X-class flares, then C-class, B-class and finally A-class flares which are too weak to significantly affect Earth. Within each class, numbers from 1 to 10 (and beyond, for X-class flares) denote a flare's relative strength.

Massive sunspot AR3576 as viewed by the Perseverance Rover on the surface of Mars. (Image credit: JPL_Caltech)

Strong solar flares can also be accompanied by CMEs. When CMEs hit Earth they can disrupt our magnetosphere resulting in geomagnetic storms which in turn can create stunning aurora displays closer to equatorial regions than is usually possible during calm conditions.

Solar and space weather scientists are keeping a close eye on the sun as energetic solar flares and CMEs can be problematic for satellites in space and even electronic technology down on Earth.

Scientists at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center analyze sunspot regions daily to assess the threats. The World Data Center for the Sunspot Index and Long-term Solar Observations at the Royal Observatory of Belgium also tracks sunspots and records the highs and lows of the solar cycle to evaluate solar activity and improve space weather forecasting.

NASA also has a fleet of spacecraft — known collectively as the Heliophysics Systems Observatory (HSO) — designed to study the sun and its influence on the solar system, including the effects of space weather.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Health/Medicine; History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: ar3576; astronomy; catastrophism; communications; science; sunspot
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To: Red Badger

That looks like what my dermatologist sees when I visit him every six months. A quick slice of the razor, a wide bandaid applied, and a call from his office a week later, saying either “it’s nothing” or “come back in for some deep-dish surgery”.


21 posted on 02/09/2024 2:53:17 PM PST by moovova ("The NEXT election is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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To: DouglasKC
“ When the big one comes …”

When the big one comes you’ll have virtually zero warning. If you happen to be on the side of the earth facing away from the sun you might get to see the atmosphere catch fire right before you’re burned to a crisp.
22 posted on 02/09/2024 3:12:36 PM PST by The Louiswu (Pray for Peace in the world.)
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To: Seruzawa

As a final resort, the pilot could call 911 and ask “Where are you located?”


23 posted on 02/09/2024 3:55:14 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (“Occupy your mind with good thoughts or your enemy will fill them with bad ones.” ~ Thomas More)
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To: Red Badger



24 posted on 02/10/2024 6:55:32 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Putin should skip ahead to where he kills himself in the bunker.)
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