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The energy trapped in a sunspot can be released in a rapid explosion called a solar flare. When the explosion contains only radiation, it is called a solar flare. It can also include charged particles from the solar surface called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). When it travels outward from the Sun, it is called the solar wind and is responsible for space weather.
Buzzing Sunspot AR3165
For centuries, scientists have looked to the Sun to predict space weather, and sunspots are a key marker of the intensity of activity. As the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, an increase in the number and activity of sunspots has been observed.
The next solar cycle peak is expected in 2025 and activity has been increasing over the past few months. Last week, sunspot AR3165 sent out eight solar flares, each belonging to Class M, a moderate-intensity classification of solar flares. Any increased intensity can result in flares being classified as Class X flares, the highest intensity known to man.
The inhabitants of our planet are protected from the harmful effects of the solar wind by the blanket of atmosphere that surrounds the planet. The highly energetic particles interact with molecules in Earth’s atmosphere, compressing Earth’s magnetic field. This is called a geomagnetic storm.
Scientists suspect that the highly energetic particles from the CME fired by sunspot AR3165 crack open Earth’s magnetosphere, putting us on the receiving end of solar material.
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