A particular sunspot, known as Sunspot Active Region 3590, has attracted astronomers’ attention recently, having developed into the largest sunspot in the current solar cycle, numbered 25. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) released a two-day video demonstrating the sunspot growing by 25% in only 48 hours.
Sunspots are regions that appear dark on the Sun’s surface despite being extremely hot. Triggered by tremendous magnetic activity, sunspots are caused by twisted magnetic field lines which interrupt normal heat movement. They are linked to solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and play a significant part in solar dynamics and space weather, affecting planets in the solar system, including Earth, causing disruptions to radio communications and the electrical grid.
On February 25, at about 10:15 p.m., AR3590 unleashed three consecutive X-class solar flares in the direction of Earth. Although the most powerful among them measured X6.3 magnitude, the impact on Earth was minimal, resulting in no major magnetic storm.
Concerns are growing about the probability of another large flare from AR3590, with the potential for a direct collision with Earth.
AR3590’s massive size, which now covers 60% of the surface area of the legendary sunspot responsible for the historic solar storm that occurred in 1859 known as the “Carrington Event,” is adding to researchers’ concerns.
That storm, named for astronomer Richard Carrington, caused major disruptions, even though the technology of the 19th century was limited. The Carrington event wiped out telegraph systems around the world and caused major fires.