An increase in surface activity is expected because our Sun is approaching solar maximum in 2025. However, last month our Sun sprouted more sunspots than in any month during the entire previous 11-year solar cycle – and even dating back to 2002. The featured picture is a composite of images taken every day from January to June by NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory. Showing a high abundance of sunspots, large individual spots can be tracked across the Sun’s disk, left to right, over about two weeks. As a solar cycle continues, sunspots typically appear closer to the equator. Sunspots are just one way that our Sun displays surface activity – another is flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that expel particles out into the Solar System. Since these particles can affect astronauts and electronics, tracking surface disturbances is of more than aesthetic value. Conversely, solar activity can have very high aesthetic value – in the Earth’s atmosphere when they trigger aurora.
Wow this is really neat, I didn’t realize sun spots occur in bands like this. I always assumed they occur across the whole surface
They don’t, they’re the same spots overlayed over time. What you’re seeing is each spots parambulation around the sun which makes a banding pattern when all together, think of it like each spots orbit.
That largest one in the Southern hemisphere is visible—with proper protective gear—to the naked eye, designated No 3363.
It’s approximately six Earths across.
Really? I wasn’t aware of that, super cool.
Yes! I didn’t know it was possible. I was on a sunrise walk a few days ago and the sun was coming through a thick haze and I could make out an object in the way of the sun. I thought it might be an airplane or a satellite, but it never moved. Then I thought it might be the planet Mercury, but when I looked it up, it was in the wrong place. Then I found a NASA sunspot tracker, and there it was.
What exactly is a sunspot? I always assumed same thing as cme without ever looking into it. Sounds like there is a difference?
Love the picture btw!
Gotta admit I’m more concerned to learn what solar maximum is
Slightly anticlimactic, with some chance of cataclysm
No biggie if that chance happen we get to see auroras everywhere perhaps our lights won’t need to be plugged. Apparently the biggest one were able to power telegraph without battery with how efficient light bulbs today it might be enough to power it until it burns out. If it happens everyone will be force to touch grass whether they like it or not.
It’s just an are that is cooler than the surrounding plasma. Formed through changes in the magnetic field. Here’s a cool article.
and fun fact, apparently they only look that dark in relation to the rest of the sun; they’d be a glowing orange-ish color if isolated
Oh yeah definitely still glowing hot at over 6,000F.
Looks like Granny made a cute Christmas sweater for the Sun.
space is so awesome!! truthfully, i wasn’t even aware of sun spots!
Looks like the sun is playing the game of life
