Butterfly-shaped hole pops up on the Sun. It's 5,00,000-km-wide
A striking butterfly-shaped coronal hole has emerged on the Sun’s surface, stretching nearly 5,00,000 kilometers across. These dark patches appear when the Sun’s magnetic field opens, allowing high-speed solar winds to escape. When such winds travel towards Earth, they can spark geomagnetic storms that disrupt satellites, navigation systems, and communication networks. Scientists highlight that coronal holes are not unusual during the Sun’s active phase, but their scale and shape make them noteworthy. The current butterfly-like formation is pushing solar winds that may reach Earth in the coming days, potentially producing stunning auroras at higher latitudes. Experts are closely monitoring the situation, as these events can have both scientific and technological impacts. With the Sun approaching its peak activity cycle, more such features are likely to be observed. This phenomenon underscores the importance of space weather studies in safeguarding modern technology and advancing solar research.
The Key points
- Sun displays a butterfly-shaped coronal hole.
- Structure spans nearly 5,00,000 kilometers in width.
- Coronal holes allow solar winds to escape rapidly.
- Solar winds could reach Earth in the next days.
- Potential to trigger mild-to-moderate geomagnetic storms.
- Geomagnetic storms may affect satellites and power grids.
- High-latitude regions could witness vivid auroras.
- Scientists stress coronal holes are common in solar cycles.
- Shape and size make this feature especially remarkable.
- Sun’s rising activity cycle increases frequency of such events.
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