© NASASolar flares are the result of changes in magnetic fields on the sunspots that cause a huge explosion
If you think the year 2020 is through with its share of bad news, there is a massive sunspot on the Sun that will be turning towards our planet which could result in major strong flares.
According to a report by spaceweather.com, the sunspot AR2770, which was deducted earlier this week is expected to grow in size. Few minor space flares have been emitted by this particular sunspot already which has not caused anything major other than "minor waves of ionization to ripple through Earth's upper atmosphere".
However, if this sunspot which can be up to 50,000 kilometres in diameter may release a huge amount of energy which in turn will lead to solar flares. These eruptions may lead to solar flares and storms. This phenomenon is called Coronal Mass Ejections (CME). These flares can have a major effect on affect radio communications, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) connectivity, power grids, and satellites.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the CMEs can result in "fluctuations of electrical currents in space and energize electrons and protons trapped in Earth's varying magnetic field". Solar flares caused by these CMEs can also trigger intense light in the sky, called auroras.
What is a sunspot?A sunspot is a dark area on the sun that appears dark on the surface and relatively cooler than the other parts. These sunspots have electrically charged gases that generate areas of powerful magnetic forces. The gases on our sun are constantly moving which causes irregularities in this 'magnetic field'. These activities are also called 'solar activity'.
The levels of solar activity don't remain the same and differ from one solar cycle to another.What is a solar flare?Solar flares are the result of changes in magnetic fields on the sunspots that cause a huge explosion. These solar flares are often released into space and its radiation can disrupt with earth's radio communications. The solar flares explosion's energy can be equivalent to a trillion 'Little boy' atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Recently, scientists developed a new model that can successfully predict seven of the Sun's biggest flares from the last solar cycle, out of a set of nine with the help of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory
Comment: Space Weather
reports:
SOLAR CYCLE 25 ACTIVE REGIONS
The sun's southern hemisphere is undergoing an outbreak of Solar Cycle 25 active regions. Take a look at this Aug. 12th magnetic map of the sun from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:
Each patch of yellow and green is a place where magnetic fields are intensifying, creating islands of magnetism on the sun's surface. In one case (AR2771), the fields have intensified enough to form a cluster of dark sunspots. The other two are still weakly-organized regions of magnetic froth. They might turn into sunspots, but haven't yet.
We know that all of these regions belong to Solar Cycle 25 because of their +/- polarity. See Hale's Law for details. Their emergence is yet another sign that Solar Cycle 25 is coming to life.
While it remains to be seen what happens with the sun spot, what is clear is that due to the decreasing strength in Earth's electro-magnetic field solar activity is being felt with an increased intensity, and it's in the transition between cycles that we see an increase in potentially disruptive solar events:
'Terminator' events on the Sun trigger plasma tsunamis and new solar cycles - Expect them next year
Comment: Space Weather reports: While it remains to be seen what happens with the sun spot, what is clear is that due to the decreasing strength in Earth's electro-magnetic field solar activity is being felt with an increased intensity, and it's in the transition between cycles that we see an increase in potentially disruptive solar events: 'Terminator' events on the Sun trigger plasma tsunamis and new solar cycles - Expect them next year