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A giant dark hole has formed on the Sun, what will happen now - video
Despite the hole's menacing appearance, scientists promise that no planet will be harmed.
A large coronal hole has formed on the Sun. It appeared in the northern hemisphere of the star and has already begun to influence space weather near Earth. A video of the hole was published on October 16 by IKI and the Institute of Solar Astronomy ISTP.
As scientists explained, coronal holes occur in those areas of the Sun where the magnetic field is not limited to the surface, but is directed into space.
"On Earth, such fields naturally occur only near the poles, and it is here that the particles that cause the auroras fly into open magnetic funnels," the lab explained.
The opposite process occurs on the sun. Along the open field lines, solar matter escapes freely into space and begins to mix with the solar wind. The corona loses luminous gases and dark areas form here.
At the same time, the solar wind near the hole gains additional mass, increases its speed and density. Engulfed by these high-speed flows, the Earth's magnetic field can become unbalanced and turn into magnetic storms.
"The magnetic field of the coronal cavity has the shape of an open flower," the scientists said. "It extends at a very wide angle and can reach the Earth even when it is at a significant distance from the Sun-Earth line," the scientists explained.
But despite the hole's "threatening" appearance, the outlook for the future is somewhat positive. Wind speeds are expected to increase from the current 400 km/s to 500 km/s. Almost certainly, no planet will be harmed by this magnitude of change.