المملكة: Jeddah Astronomy: The return of sunspot 4419 may raise the possibility of flares affecting Earth
The president of the association explained Astronomy in Jeddah Engineer Majid Abu Zahra said that it was observed that sunspot 4419 would return again to the face of the sun facing the Earth after completing a full revolution around the sun, following the strong activity recorded late last April when it released two X-class solar flares as it approached the western edge of the sun.
He pointed out that space weather monitoring data show that the region is still magnetically active, with continuous flows of plasma and mass emission monitored. Coronal corona during the past hours, which may pave the way for a new increase in solar activity in the coming days.
Sunspot 4419
It was shown that Sunspot 4419 had previously been classified as The complex magnetic structures capable of producing powerful solar flares, but their occurrence near the edge of the sun at that time limited the direct effects on Earth. He explained that their current return to Earth’s field of vision arouses the interest of space weather monitoring centers around the world, given that any future flares or emissions may become more likely to be directed toward Earth.
He added that solar flares and coronal mass ejections may affect radio communications and navigation systems. And satellites, and it can increase the chances of the aurora appearing in high latitude regions, especially if the emissions are directed directly towards Earth’s magnetic field.
What are sunspots?
Abu Zahra explained that sunspots are relatively dark areas that appear on the surface of the sun as a result of intense magnetic activity that hinders the transfer of heat from the interior of the sun to its surface, which makes its temperature lower than the surrounding areas, making it appear darker.
He pointed out that these spots are formed when strong magnetic fields envelop the inside of the sun and penetrate its surface through movement. The violent formation of plasma in the outer layers, which prevents part of the heat from reaching the surface, pointing out that scientists are constantly monitoring these regions due to their direct connection to solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
He stressed that the sun’s continued rotation around its axis leads to the active regions returning to face the Earth again, which allows scientists to closely follow the developments of its magnetic activity, indicating that the sun is currently approaching the peak of its current solar cycle, which increases the possibility of flares occurring. And strong emissions during the coming period.
He concluded his statement by emphasizing that monitoring space weather has become an important matter in the modern era, to understand the effects of solar activity on the planet Earth and space-based technologies, especially with the increasing reliance on satellites and modern communications and navigation systems.
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