A massive hole in the Sun, more than five times the size of Jupiter, is blasting a strong solar wind that’s traveling across the Solar System, Science Alert reported.
A massive hole in the Sun bigger than 60 Earths released strong solar wind directly to Earth
This immense area of darkness, appearing near the sun’s equator on December 2, has grown to an astonishing width of nearly 497,000 miles. To put it in perspective, that’s more than 60 Earths lined up next to each other, India Today reported.
The coronal hole reached its maximum size in just one day and has been directly facing Earth since December 4. While such holes are not rare, the size and timing of this particular one have captured the interest of the scientific community.
The coronal hole is currently moving away from Earth. However, a few days ago, when it was positioned along the equator, it was directly facing Earth, sending a stream of particles our way.
This resulted in a mild solar storm, but there’s no need for concern. The hole is part of the Sun’s regular pattern of active behavior during the solar maximum phase, according to ScienceAlert.
The Sun has been quite active lately, which is normal during its cycles of increased activity. These cycles include sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and coronal holes.
This heightened activity reaches its peak, called solar maximum, before calming down during solar minimum, a phase of relative quiet and reduced activity.
Sun’s magnetic moves and the mystery of coronal holes
This cycle seems to be linked to the Sun’s magnetic cycles, which coincide with the reversal of the solar magnetic field’s polarity. During this process, the north and south poles of the Sun switch places.
In contrast, a coronal hole is a large area where the solar magnetic field opens up. Unlike sunspots, we can’t see them in regular light, but in ultraviolet wavelengths, they appear as large, dark patches that are cooler than their surroundings.
Because the magnetic field is open in these areas, the solar wind can escape more easily. This results in a more robust flow of solar particles and plasma into the Solar System, swirling around any planets that may be in their path.
