Massive sunspot that produced the strongest solar flare in six years is now pointing ‘almost directly’ at Earth – and could cause geomagnetic storms and power outages, scientists warn

A huge dark spot on the Sun’s surface, known as a ‘sunspot’, has not finished yet and is sending violent space weather our way.

Last week, the sunspot, called AR3590, emitted three solar flares: rapid bursts of intense, high-energy radiation.

This included one on February 22 that registered as the largest recorded solar flare in six and a half years.

But AR3590 is now aimed almost directly at our planet, and experts say more powerful bursts of radiation could be heading our way.

These emissions cause major damage to power grids and navigation signals and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts, although they can also produce beautiful auroras in the sky.

Sunspots are cooler areas on the Sun’s surface, caused by massive changes in our star’s magnetic field.

Sunspots are often larger than planets and appear dark on the Sun’s surface because they are cooler than other parts (although they are still very hot, around 6500°F).

Last Wednesday and Thursday, sunspot AR3590 – estimated to be up to nine times larger than Earth – spewed three powerful solar flares at us.

All were described as class

The largest, measuring X6.3, was captured in a stunning NASA image.

At a value of

However, as Earth orbits the sun, sunspot AR3590 now points almost directly at the planet, having previously been at an angle.

This will likely bring an “increase in solar activity,” the researchers said SpaceWeather.com.

Last Wednesday and Thursday, sunspot AR3590 – estimated to be up to nine times larger than Earth – spewed three powerful solar flares at us.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of the X6.3 solar flare (as seen in the bright flash at upper left) on February 22, 2024. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in the solar flares. which is colored in bronze

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the X6.3 solar flare is also the largest of the three that occurred on Wednesday and Thursday last week.

The other two solar flares from last week were X1.8 and X1.7 – not as powerful.

However, it is unclear what damage the three caused EarthSky Reports say they resulted in beautiful aurora displays in high latitudes, including Alaska and Norway.

EarthSky said the sunspot is now well positioned to fire a coronal mass ejection (CME) our way, which will likely produce more auroras.

Solar flares differ from coronal mass ejections (CMEs), in which solar material is ejected in the form of huge bubbles of charged particles (plasma) containing magnetic field lines.

However, both are major concerns of astronomers due to concerns that they cause space weather events that impact Earth.

Huge clouds of electrified gas ejected into space by these events travel at hundreds of kilometers per second and hit Earth’s magnetic field.

This could affect technologies on our planet, such as electricity grids, communications, GPS navigation, air travel and satellites.

The aurora borealis appears over Bamburgh lighthouse, in Northumberland on the northeast coast of England, November 5, 2023

The Northern Lights seen over St Leonard’s Head in St Andrews, Scotland, February 27, 2023

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flashes in the upper left region of the sun – on February 21 and 22. The images show a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in the solar flares. and it is colored in blue-green

NOAA also said the X6.3 solar flare is the largest to occur so far during the current solar cycle, which began in 2019.

The solar cycle is the cycle that the sun’s magnetic field goes through approximately every eleven years before it completely reverses and the sun’s north and south poles switch places.

Scientists can track the solar cycle by counting the number of sunspots and exactly when they appear, usually with the help of satellites.

The beginning of an 11-year solar cycle, when the Sun has the fewest sunspots, is known as solar minimum – but over time the number of sunspots increases as solar maximum is reached.

A recent study predicted that solar maximum will come earlier than expected – most likely this year – meaning space weather will be at its most pronounced.

“The most intense storms can sometimes result in catastrophic orbital decay of satellites orbiting in low Earth orbit and disrupt satellite-based services such as communication and navigation networks,” study author Dr Dibyendu Nandi, a physicist from the IISER Kolkata Center of Excellence in Space Sciences in India, told MailOnline.

‘They can also cause strong disturbances in the geomagnetic field, knocking out power grids in high latitudes.

“Of course, they also create beautiful auroras, so we can expect 2024 to be a good year for auroras hunters.”

WHAT IS THE SOLAR CYCLE?

The sun is a huge ball of electrically charged hot gas that moves and creates a powerful magnetic field.

This magnetic field goes through a cycle called the solar cycle.

About every eleven years, the sun’s magnetic field completely reverses, meaning the sun’s north and south poles switch places.

The solar cycle affects activity on the sun’s surface, such as sunspots caused by the sun’s magnetic fields.

Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic field reverses, meaning the sun’s north and south poles switch places. The solar cycle influences activity on the Sun’s surface, causing the number of sunspots to increase during stronger (2001) phases than weaker (1996/2006) phases

One way to track the solar cycle is to count the number of sunspots.

The beginning of a solar cycle is a solar minimum, or when the Sun has the fewest sunspots. Over time, solar activity – and the number of sunspots – increases.

The middle of the solar cycle is solar maximum, or when the Sun has the most sunspots.

When the cycle ends, it fades back to solar minimum and a new cycle begins.

Giant eruptions on the Sun, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, also increase during the solar cycle.

These eruptions send powerful bursts of energy and material into space that can impact Earth.

For example, eruptions can produce light in the sky, called aurora, or impact radio communications and power grids on Earth.