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Credit & Copyright: Marco Meniero
Explanation:
It was larger than the Earth.
It was so big you could actually see it on the Sun's surface without magnification.
It contained powerful and
tangled
magnetic fields
as well as numerous
dark sunspots.
Labelled
AR 3664, it developed into one of the most energetic
areas seen on the
Sun in recent years,
unleashing a series of explosions that led to a
surge of energetic particles striking the Earth, which created
beautiful auroras.
And
might continue.
Although
active
regions
on the Sun like AR 3664 can be quite dangerous,
this region's
Coronal Mass Ejections
have not done, as yet, much
damage to Earth-orbiting satellites or Earth-surface
electrical grids.
Pictured,
the enormous active region was captured on the
setting Sun a few days ago from
Civitavecchia,
Rome,
Italy.
The composite
image
includes a very short exposure taken of just the
Sun's surface, but mimics what was actually visible.
Finally,
AR 3664 is
now rotating away from the Earth,
although the region may survive long enough to come around again.
Gallery:
Earth Aurora from Solar Active Region 3664
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: sunspot
Publications with words: sunspot
See also: