A massive sunspot complex, AR 4294-96, has rotated into view, nearly matching the size of the Carrington Event sunspot.
Gigantic sunspot complex emerges, sparking fears of strong solar flares and geomagnetic storms
Photo Credit: NASA
Astronomers have revealed that a massive new sunspot complex has developed on the Sun's surface, which is going to have an impact on Earth directly. A set of early December photos showed that the three giant active regions AR 4294-96 cover an incredibly large area, almost as one of the "monster" spots that caused the 1859 Carrington Event. While the group is still quiet, the complex magnetic fields of the cluster may unleash a strong solar flare that can be followed by a geomagnetic storm hitting our planet.
According to Spacecraft data, AR 4294-96 spans roughly 180,000 km – about 90% of the area of the 1859 Carrington sunspot. Observers note it is “one of the biggest sunspot groups of the past 10 years”. The cluster, formed by two linked regions (AR 4294 and AR 4296), was first seen on the Sun's far side by NASA's Perseverance rover before rotating into view. Its tangled “beta-gamma-delta” magnetic field harbours energy for strong X-class flares.
Sunspot AR 4294-96 could unleash solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – clouds of charged particles that trigger geomagnetic storms on Earth. Such storms can disrupt satellites, radio communications and power grids, and paint auroras in the sky. An X1.9 flare on Dec. 1, however, came from a different sunspot (AR 4295), not AR 4294-96. NOAA forecasters expect more M-class flares and even X-flares, but note that so far, no Earth-directed CME has emerged. In short, scientists warn that a repeat of the 1859 Carrington-level superstorm is not imminent
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