Massive 500,000-mile ‘hole’ in the Sun appears and these are the consequences on Earth
The Sun’s surface is a highly active region in the Solar System, with fissures opening up regularly that affect us on Earth.
A coronal hole half a million miles wide has opened up on the Sun’s surface, potentially affecting Earth. While we may not be able to see it with the naked eye, the Sun’s surface is a hugely volatile region, with plenty of fascinating phenomena regularly occurring to keep scientists busy.
What is a coronal hole?
Coronal holes are regions on the face of our nearest star where the magnetic fields have opened up. These open areas allow solar wind to escape freely into space, from which point they can head towards Earth.
While coronal holes are not unusual, the numbers behind what was recently measured certainly classified it as a whopper: at 62 times the diameter of Earth, the winds released were caught at speeds of more than 310 miles per second (500 kilometres per second).
The winds did indeed reach Earth on January 31, causing minor geomagnetic storm conditions, creating auroral displays to those lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Apart from that, they had no other effects on our planet.
What is the Aurora Borealis?
Also known as the Northern Lights, auroras are solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. Collisions happen between the charged particles from the sun that meet gases in our upper atmosphere, creating a release of energy.
This energy is released as light, producing the atmospheric dances regularly witnessed by lucky stargazers. As for the selection of colours, that depends on what particle, usually oxygen or nitrogen, the wind hits.
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