Solar Cycle: Scientists Spotted a New Sunspot on Sun's Surface that is Facing Away From Earth

On Tuesday, October 26, the Sun had fiery fiery explosions for about five hours that dominated its. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has recorded a series of eruptions on the Sun's surface that faces away from the Earth.

Space.com reported that even though it is unclear from the angle of explosions, experts from the space weather tracking website SpaceWeather.com suggested that this five-hour fiesta could be a dark concentration of magnetic activity known as a sunspot on the Sun's surface.

SDO Records Five-Hour Fiery Fiesta From the Sun

According to SpaceWeather.com, the SDO has recorded at least half a dozen explosions during the five-hour sequence in the early hours of October 26. Experts said that it was most certainly an unstable sunspot despite clearly seeing the blast site at the edge of the Sun.

But they added that the Sun's rotation would bring it within view in the next 24 to 48 hours, which will create a geoeffective source of solar activity. Solar flare alerts of possible strong solar flares are sent via SMS text message.

Space.com explains that it takes 24 Earth days to rotate at the equator and over 30 days at the poles given that the Sun's rotation varies by latitude.

NASA's SDO is one of the space agency's telescopes and spacecraft that observes the Sun and sends back data to improve solar weather predictions. Information from SDO could help scientists tell the intensity of solar flare aimed towards Earth that is accompanied by a stream of charged particles or otherwise known as coronal mass ejection (CME), which could cause problems on satellites and damage power lines.

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Beginning of a New Solar Cycle

Scientists said that the sunspots recently observed are just one of the many sunspots that will appear on the Sun in its new solar cycle that began in December 2019. During the early years of the 11-year solar cycle, there will be fewer sunspots and lesser eruptions on the Sun's surface.

However, scientists noted that it would gradually increase in number as the Sun reaches its peak that is expected to happen around mid-2025, according to a previous report of Space.com.

Although scientists are still unsure how strong would this forthcoming solar cycle will be, the consensus among them is that the average number of sunspots will be lower than usual, with only 95 to 130 at peak compared to a typical number of sunspots that range between 140 to 220 sunspots.

According to NASA, scientists use sunspots to track solar progress since these dark blotches are associated with solar activity. They show the origins of explosions or solar flares or CMEs that spew energy, light, and other solar materials into space.

NASA and other federal agencies have teamed up to enhance space weather preparedness to protect the nation from space weather hazards. It will also help in preparing and supporting the Artemis program since the first step in understanding and mitigating astronaut exposure to space radiation is surveying the space environment.