The large sunspot pointing towards Earth is so intense that experts believe it could be changing how the Sun vibrates. Science Times previously reported that an X-class solar flare could be building inside this sunspot.
These black blotches in the Solar System's star are regions of the surface of the Sun that are colder than the surrounding area, Newsweek reported. They have strong magnetic fields that prevent convection or the heat from inside of the star from reaching the surface. As it continues to grow, it can cause solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that can negatively affect Earth.
Two Large Sunspots Detected on the Farside of the Sun
Scientists are keeping track of sunspots because of their intense magnetic field, which is the source of space weather events. Both solar flares and CMEs could have significant effects on Earth, including disrupting radio communications, damaging power grids, and the shimmering lights known as auroras.
When sunspots are facing toward Earth, scientists will use specially-designed telescopes to study them. But tracking sunspots on the far side of the Sun would need a different technique.
On Tuesday (Sept. 6), Spaceweather.com reported that there were two large sunspots on the far side of the Sun and it is affecting how the star vibrates. NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft recorded the full-halo CME that emerged during the late hours of Sept. 5.
George Ho of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab explained that it was not an ordinary event and believes that many scientific papers will be published about it in the coming years.
Intense Solar Events Due to the Sunspots
NASA's model of the CME shows that it was pointing directly toward Venus and away from Earth. The report says that the event is the second time it has happened within a week and Venus has been receiving the wrath of the solar storm. The first solar event happened on Sept. 1 that was also launched at the far side of the Moon.
Ho says that the solar event on Monday was one of the largest Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) storms that the Solar Orbiter has recorded since it was launched in 2020, noting that the event is at least an order of magnitude stronger than the CME last week.
Although Earth was unaffected by the storm, experts warn that the planet may not be safe from its source. The underlying explosion almost happened in the magnetic canopy of the active sunspot called AR3088, which popped up at the side of the Sun directly facing Earth last month. Now, it is on the far side of the Sun and appears to have become bigger and angrier.
It is expected that the Sun's rotation will turn it toward Earth again over a week from now and put the planet back in the line of fire of possible solar flares or CMEs.
What Is Helioseismology?
Helioseismology is derived from the words "helios" for Sun, "seismos" for quakes, and "logos" for study, according to National Solar Observatory (NSO). It is the study of the Sun's vibrations and is a key area of solar science. Helioseismology studies the sound waves from inside the star to gain insights into what is happening inside it.
The technique is analogous to geoseismology on Earth, wherein scientists measure seismic waves traveling through the planet's interior and reveal what is below the surface. Likewise, scientists detect these waves on the Sun by measuring small changes in the light of the Sun.
RELATED ARTICLE: Big X-Class Solar Flare May Be Building in the Dangerous Sunspot Pointing to Earth
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