Sunspot cluster 15 times larger than Earth erupts

Solar flares from sunspot cluster AR4633 peaked at 7:13 p.m. on February 4 (Hanoi time), causing short-term radio communication disruptions in some areas of western Africa and southern Europe.

Class However, the Space Weather Prediction Center of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said no signs of CME were detected in the observation images after the X4.2 level flare.

Sunspot cluster AR4366 is a complex and rapidly growing magnetic field region that has continuously emitted powerful solar flares since its formation a few days ago. Although it erupts continuously, AR4366 seems to only be “showy” and not dangerous. Most solar flares from this cluster do not eject significant amounts of material into space. To date, only the X8.4 level flare erupted a few days ago accompanied by a slow-moving CME. This CME had a mild impact on Earth and could cause a low-level geomagnetic storm (G1) today or tomorrow.

AR4366 is 15 times the size of Earth, large enough to be seen from Earth with eclipse glasses. Astronomy photographer Mark Johnston captured this giant sunspot cluster from Arizona (USA) on February 1. This cluster is still heading towards the blue planet and shows no signs of calming down. Space weather forecasters will continue to monitor closely to see if it causes a stronger impact.

Sunspots are regions with particularly strong magnetic fields – so much so that they prevent some of the heat from the Sun’s interior from reaching the surface. This causes the sunspots to appear darker and cooler than the surrounding area. When the magnetic field associated with a sunspot suddenly shifts or realigns, large amounts of energy can be released. This energy explodes in the form of bursts of radiation called solar flares, or plasma clouds called CMEs.

These releases of matter and solar energy can interact with Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field, affecting modern technology such as radio communications systems, navigation systems, and even power grids. Experts classify solar flares into A, B, C, M, X depending on their strength, in which X is the strongest and A is the weakest. Typically, only M- or X-class flares are strong enough to cause scientists to issue space weather warnings.