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Second giant hole 20 times bigger than Earth rips through sun’s surface — and it unleashes 1.8 million mph solar winds at our planet
A massive hole 20 times larger than Earth has been torn by the sun – making it the second to appear in a week.
The gaping “coronal hole” unleashes 1.8 million-mile-per-hour solar winds at our planet, which will hit us on Friday.
Scientists are closely monitoring the situation to see if the wind is affecting the Earth’s magnetic field, satellites and technology.
The first hole, spotted on March 23, is 30 times the size of Earth, releasing solar winds that spawned stunning auroras as far south as Arizona.
The second hole is 20 times larger than the sun. It unleashes solar winds at 1.8 million miles per hour, which will reach our planet on Friday
Both holes were captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which studies the sun.
Coronal holes are magnetically open regions that are sources of fast solar wind.
“They appear dark when viewed in many wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light, as seen here. Sometimes the solar wind can generate aurora at higher latitudes on Earth.’
While the image may look alarming at first, it doesn’t mean we’re in any danger.
Coronal holes are a common feature of the sun, although they appear in different places – especially near the poles – and more often at different times of the sun’s activity cycle.
They are generally more common when the sun is at a less active point in its 11-year cycle.
The effects of the holes are usually harmless, although satellite communications and high-altitude radio transmissions can sometimes be temporarily disrupted.
The second hole is on the equator of the sun.
The first hole, spotted on March 23, is 30 times the size of Earth, releasing solar winds that spawned stunning auroras as far south as Arizona
‘The shape of this coronal hole is not unusual. However, the location makes it very interesting’, says Daniel Verscharen, associate professor of space and climate physics at University College London. Insider.
“I would expect high winds from that coronal hole to come down to Earth around Friday night on Saturday morning this week.
The first coronal hole resulted in brilliant auroras on March 24, illuminating the night sky with electric purple and green.
They were caused by a G3 storm, referring to a “strong” solar storm that can affect power systems and spacecraft, including orientation problems.