A huge, dark region known as the coronal hole has recently emerged near the Sun’s equator. The black hole allows the unusually fast solar wind to hurtle toward Earth. The magnetic field in a coronal hole is different from the rest of the sun. Instead of returning to the surface, these magnetic field lines remain exposed and extend into space.
What could a black hole opening in the Sun cause?
An enormous black hole has opened up on the surface of the Sun and is emitting powerful streams of unusually fast radiation known as the solar wind directly to Earth. The size and orientation of the transient gap, which is wider than 60 Earths, is unprecedented at this stage of the solar cycle, scientists say.
The giant dark region on the Sun, known as the coronal hole, formed near the sun’s equator on December 2 and reached a maximum width of approximately 800 thousand kilometers within 24 hours. Since December 4, this hole has been pointing directly at Earth.
Experts initially predicted that this hole could trigger a moderate intensity (G2) geomagnetic storm, which could trigger radio blackouts and strong auroras for the next few days. However, the resulting storm has so far been weak (G1) as the solar wind is less intense than expected, according to Spaceweather.com. However, auroras are still possible at higher latitudes.
It’s unclear how long the hole will remain in the sun, but previous coronal holes have lasted longer than a single solar rotation (27 days) in the past, according to NOAA. As a result, the hole will soon move away from Earth.
Coronal holes can occur at any point in the solar cycle, but they are actually more common during solar minimum. When they occur during solar maximum, they are normally located near the sun’s poles rather than near the equator. Therefore, how such a large hole opened near the equator when the Sun is so close to its maximum remains a mystery.
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