Massive sunspot seen by Mars rover may disrupt satellites and cover Earth with auroras

A team of experts from NASA has recently spotted a colossal sunspot, predicted to expand and shift until it directly faces Earth in the coming week. 

The scientists cautioned that this darker, cooler region of the sun might unleash powerful eruptions such as solar flares (intense bursts of high-frequency radiation) and coronal mass ejections (CMEs; vast solar plasma eruptions).

These types of eruptions have the potential to intersect with the Earth and interfere with satellite navigation and even trigger power outages, making sunspot monitoring far more crucial than mere scientific curiosity.

Sunspot captured by NASA’s Perseverance rover

While the exact dimensions of the sunspot remain uncertain, it was NASA’s Perseverance rover that captured its imagery from a staggering distance of over 152 million miles away from the sun. Between August 17 and August 20, the rover documented the sunspot while navigating the Jezero Crater on Mars.

“Because Mars is orbiting over the far side of the sun, Perseverance can see approaching sunspots more than a week before we do. Consider this your one-week warning: a big sunspot is coming,” experts from Spaceweather reported.

These captured images have been converted into an animation, presenting a faint sun against the void of space, with a notable shadowy mass sweeping across its facade. And as scientists stressed, to show up in such low-resolution images, the sunspot must be considerably big.

How do sunspots form?

The formation of sunspots is attributed to the sun’s magnetic field, which is approximately 2,500 times stronger than that of Earth. Due to this intense magnetic field, the magnetism’s pressure heightens, causing the adjacent atmospheric pressure to drop. 

Consequently, this reduces the temperature in comparison to its neighboring regions because the dense magnetic field restricts the influx of warm gas from the Sun’s core to its exterior. 

Thus, sunspots appear darker, as they are around 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit less warm than the surrounding regions. By contrast, the sun’s external atmosphere can soar beyond a million degrees.

Decoding mysteries of the sun

Back in February, NASA showcased breathtaking images of our mammoth star, delineating its diverse temperature zones. Utilizing the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), the U.S. space agency traced varying X-rays discharged by the hottest substances in the sun’s aura. Areas emitting high-energy X-rays were few, while regions radiating low-energy X-rays and ultraviolet light spanned the entire gaseous orb.

Through these insights, scientists aspire to decode one of the sun’s profound enigmas: the reason behind its external atmosphere being over a million degrees – a temperature at least 100 times hotter than its surface.

More about sunspots

Sunspots are temporary phenomena on the Sun’s photosphere that appear visibly as dark spots compared to surrounding regions. They are caused by the Sun’s magnetic field’s intense activity, which inhibits convection by an effect known as magnetic confinement.

As a result, sunspots are cooler areas on the Sun’s surface, though “cooler” is relative. While the surrounding photosphere may be around 5,500°C (9,932°F), sunspots are about 3,000-4,500°C (5,432-8,132°F).

Here are some key points about sunspots:

Magnetic fields

The Sun’s magnetic fields can become twisted and distorted as the Sun rotates, due to differential rotation. When these twisted magnetic fields poke through the Sun’s surface, they can create sunspots.

Solar cycle

Sunspots follow an approximately 11-year cycle, known as the solar cycle, during which the number of sunspots increases to a maximum and then decreases to a minimum. The solar cycle affects various space and Earth-bound phenomena.

Structure: Sunspots usually have two parts:

Umbra: The central, darkest part where the magnetic field is strongest.

Penumbra: The outer region, which is lighter than the umbra and has a more complex structure.

Effects

The presence and number of sunspots can influence space weather and solar radiation. They are associated with solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which can have significant effects on Earth’s magnetosphere and can potentially disrupt communication and power systems.

Additionally, high sunspot activity can influence the Earth’s climate. However, the relationship is complex and not fully understood.

Observation

Sunspots have been observed for centuries. The invention of the telescope in the early 17th century allowed for more systematic observations, with astronomers like Galileo Galilei and Christoph Scheiner among the first to document them.

Sunspot number

Astronomers track sunspot activity by calculating the sunspot number, which is a measure of the total sunspot activity on the sun. The number is a combination of the individual spots and their groupings.

Maunder minimum

Between 1645 and 1715, there was a period with very few sunspots observed, coinciding with a period of cooler temperatures in Europe known as the “Little Ice Age.” This period of low sunspot activity is referred to as the Maunder Minimum.

If you ever wish to observe sunspots, it is crucial to use the proper equipment and precautions to protect your eyes. Never look directly at the Sun without specialized solar viewing equipment.

The study of sunspots and solar activity is crucial in understanding the Sun’s processes and its effects on Earth’s space environment, climate, and technological systems.

More about sun eruptions

Sun eruptions, often referred to as solar flares or coronal mass ejections (CMEs), are massive bursts of energy and matter from the Sun’s surface and its outer atmosphere. Here’s a brief overview:

Solar flares

These are sudden, intense variations in brightness. They are our sun’s version of earthquakes, caused by the interaction of magnetic fields. Solar flares release a lot of energy, including radiations across virtually the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

CMEs are massive bursts of solar wind and magnetic fields rising above the solar corona or being released into space. CMEs often accompany solar flare outbreaks but can occur independently as well. These are huge bubbles of gas threaded with magnetic field lines.

Impacts of sun eruptions

Space weather

Solar flares and CMEs can produce strong x-rays that can affect Earth’s upper atmosphere and potentially disrupt radio signals. If directed at Earth, the charged particles from a CME can also disturb our planet’s magnetosphere, leading to geomagnetic storms.

Satellite operations

Strong geomagnetic storms can interfere with satellite electronics and even reduce their operational lifespans.

Astronaut safety

High doses of the solar energetic particles from CMEs can pose a threat to astronauts outside of Earth’s protective magnetosphere.

Power grids

In extreme cases, geomagnetic storms can induce electric currents in power lines, potentially damaging transformers and other components of a power grid.

Auroras

On a positive note, the interaction of charged particles from the Sun with Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere leads to the creation of beautiful auroras (Northern and Southern Lights).

Understanding solar flares and CMEs is essential not just for our technological infrastructure but also for future deep space missions, as they can impact the safety of astronauts traveling beyond Earth’s protective magnetic field.

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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer

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