Sunspot is a The dark side of the sun, because it has a lower temperature and intense magnetic activity than its surroundings. Its duration lasts for several days, although if large, they usually last more than a week.
However, there are some points that may cause more concern than others. This is the last known case. ‘ known asAR3310′, is causing concern in the scientific community not only because of its enormous size (four times the size of Earth), but also because of its proximity to our planet and the possibility of X-class expansion.
According to the statement released National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)There is a weather monitor in space There is a 20% chance of such a burn. This body is represented by the portal ‘spaceweather.com‘, classifying solar flares by their strength and the amount of X-rays emitted into space. NOAA classifies flares into three categories, with C being the least intense; And the big X.
For his part, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), classified this expansion into category X1.2. “The X class indicates more intense flashes, while the number provides more information about its strength,” they explained. According to NASA, the flames Can affect radio communications, power grids, navigation signals and can present hazards to astronauts.
In fact, this is not the first time that these types of spots have occurred on the Sun. Every ten years, different organizations warn of the appearance of these types of spots and the increase in sunburns. Last burnIt happened last month February and affected South America with extensive radio interferenceCaused by intense release of electromagnetic radiation.
Sunspots appear, grow, change dimensions and appearance, and disappear after one or two solar cycles. As for solar flares, they are a A sudden and intense release of electromagnetic radiation in the Sun’s chromosphereIt has the energy equivalent of about 1,000 million hydrogen bombs.
Sun’s smile alerted scientists too
On October 27, NASA shared an image in which you can see the outline of the Sun Looks like a wide smile. However, the dark spots visible in the photo are coronal holes, and are regions where the fast solar wind sprouts into space, according to the North American System. Through his Twitter profile.
As a general rule, the consequences of these types of events They usually don’t reach EarthBecause the magnetosphere layer is responsible for shielding the planet from the sun’s ejected particles, the planet sometimes experiences the effects of radiation and solar waves. The wind is the result of the star.
