Stunning Close-Up View of the Most Active Sunspot That Caused Auroras in May Captured [Watch]

A close-up view of the most active sunspot, AR3664, was captured on camera and was breathtaking.

Close-Up View of Sunspot AR3664

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy has been closely monitoring sunspot AR3697 as it emerges above the solar southeastern limb. He shared an amazing video in his Arizona garden illustrating the sunspot region's tumultuous character.

The sunspot region, previously known as AR3664, has drawn attention from the media and skywatchers recently because, during its most recent movement over the solar disk, it ejected a large number of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are plasma and magnetic field expulsions directed toward Earth. These CMEs caused a Category 5 geomagnetic storm, the strongest class, to strike our planet's magnetosphere, igniting auroras that were seen well beyond their typical ranges.

According to McCarthy, the sun is full of fascinating occurrences like flares and coronal mass ejections, and unlike most celestial objects, it looks very different every day.

"This sunspot has a history of being highly active, and produced a number of flares and CMEs which are exciting to capture and track," he said of AR3664.

McCarthy initially recorded the sunspot region soon after it produced a massive X-class solar flare, capturing the flare's aftermath in astonishing detail. He filmed plasma loops appearing to "dance" across the solar surface on the third day. He watched the historic sunspot as it trekked back around to face Earth.

He also shared a timelapse video, which he recorded for roughly 90 minutes. He noted that the footage highlighted how the sped-up plasma danced like flames and thought that the "flames are larger than Earth."

Sunspot Region AR3664 Has Grown 15 Times the Earth's Diameter

AR3664 is massive and active, continuing to produce intense solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Last month, it released powerful solar flares that resulted in beautiful auroras.

This colossal sunspot region has grown bigger. A previous report claims that its size has grown.

The sunspot region AR3664 has been expanded by approximately 124,300 miles (200,000 kilometers) in width, or more than 15 times the diameter of the Earth. This amazing evolution is seen in a recent time-lapse video using imagery from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft.

Another fascinating aspect about AR3664 is that it is nearly the same size as the sunspot linked to the Carrington event of 1859-the biggest geomagnetic storm ever recorded on Earth. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center monitors the growing area to stay abreast of new developments. Solar activity is expected to increase as we approach solar maximum.

Experts believe that the sunspot might release more flares and CMEs. Because of its size, AR3664 might be observable without a telescope or binoculars.

However, if you want to see it, you should be careful. You must wear eye protection, like the eclipse glasses you used to see the amazing complete solar eclipse earlier this year.

Check out more news and information on Sunspot in Science Times.