A huge dark spot, the so-called coronal opening at the Sun’s equator.
According to calculations, the width of the formation is at least sixty times the width of the Earth, which is unprecedented at this stage of the solar cycle. Space.com website Astronomy portal.
The dark spot is known in science as a coronal hole. It formed near the sun’s equator on December 2 and reached its maximum width of about 800,000 km in just 24 hours. December 4 As the coronal hole is heading directly towards Earth.
Experts originally predicted that a moderately strong magnetic storm could develop on our planet due to this phenomenon, however, the solar wind was less intense than expected, so the effects were not very large either, and were only detected at higher latitudes. polar lights.
It’s not yet clear how long the hole will last, as previous coronal holes have a lifespan of about 27 days.
the Crown hole It is created by partially opening magnetic field lines in the Sun’s atmosphere. This allows large amounts of solar material to escape into space as a stream of charged particles known as the solar wind. The speed of the solar wind emerging from coronal holes can reach 4-500 km/s.
The last time a coronal hole opened on the Sun was in March, when the formation caused large magnetic storms on Earth.
