Earth is facing a direct hit threat from a solar storm as a giant spot in the Sun has become three times bigger than the size of Earth. The development has triggered a fear that a large solar flare could strike the Earth.
The sunspot, known as AR3038, tripled in size between Sunday and Monday night. Now, it has turned to face the Earth, sparking concerns that rapid solar winds could pelt towards the Blue Planet. And stunning footage from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on Sunday shows how the huge sunspot has been evolving, according to Daily Express.
Sunspot AR3038 Is Massive In Size
Tony Phillips, the author of SpaceWeather.com, wrote: "Yesterday, sunspot AR3038 was big. Today, it's enormous. The fast-growing sunspot has doubled in size in only 24 hours."
Experts have pointed out that a magnetic field is surrounding the spot and it could blast M-class solar flares toward the Earth.
Dark Spots Can Spark A Solar Flare
Sunspots, which have the potential to emit huge waves of radiation, are dark regions on the Sun's surface.
Such dark spots generate a strong magnetic field around itself that can spark a solar flare, which means huge explosions from the Sun resulting in intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation. These radiations could cause massive chaos on the Earth.
Radio Blackout, GPS Failures Possible
If these do come directly in contact with the Earth's magnetic sphere, this can cause disruption, including radio blackouts and GPS signal failures, impacting communication and navigation systems down below, reported Daily Express.
The sunspot could fire blast an M-class strike on Earth, which is the second strongest type of solar flare. Such a solar storm could result in a radio blackout on the Earth for nearly 10 minutes to the affected areas of the planet.
Currently, the Sunspot is being monitored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), which has not released any warning. Notably, Solar storms do not cause any physical harm.
Meanwhile, NASA also pointed out that solar flares won't be able to make it to Earth but their electromagnetic radiation and energetic particles have the potential to cause harm.
