A’solar archipelago’ is what scientists are referring to as the collection of these dark areas.
Seven Earth-sized dark spots on the Sun are seen in a recently taken photo by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, and these spots could soon be hit by solar flares that could destroy our world. A’solar archipelago’ has been formed by the collection of these dark spots.
According to Spaceweather.com, the cluster, which stretches 200,000 kilometers—more than 15 times wider than Earth—affects how the entire Sun vibrates. Because they are comparatively colder than other areas (although still being incredibly hot at 6,500 F), sunspots have a black appearance.
Whether or not we can see the dark patches, the sunspots have the ability to release strong coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that have the potential to strike Earth and cause potentially hazardous geomagnetic storms. This implies that extreme space weather phenomena could surprise us.
At hundreds of miles per hour, the massive clouds of electrified gas can disrupt satellites, GPS navigation, electrical grids, communications, and air traffic. The stunning auroras that occur at Earth’s poles are the only positive aspect.
Since discovering the sunspot group AR3490 and associated shattering outbursts, Earth-orbiting satellites have already recorded three M-class flares and around a dozen C-class flares.
How do sunspots and solar flares form?
Every eleven years, there is a consistent pattern of peaks and lows in solar activity. The Sun’s magnetic field is responsible for these cycles, which are referred to as solar maximum and solar minimum.
As of right now, Solar Cycle 25 is ongoing, and its solar maximum is anticipated to occur in July 2025. But this cycle has been more active than NASA and NOAA had predicted, with an official peak estimated to be about 115 sunspots.
The reason for the Sun’s unexpected increased activity is unknown to scientists, and more observation is required to enhance future forecasts and expand our knowledge of the Sun’s internal workings.
In addition to the Solar Dynamics Observatory, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover takes daily pictures of the Sun with its Mastcam-Z camera system. The primary goal is to measure the amount of dust in the Martian atmosphere, but the camera can also record sunspots. Because Mars is orbiting the far side of the Sun and has a week to spare over Earth, the rover is able to detect these sunspots early.