April 2, 2023

Great Indian Mutiny

Complete IndianNews World

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Office tracks sunspot activity.

Experts say “don’t panic”

  • A NASA scientist said that a sunspot, called AR3038, has doubled in size every day over the past three days. As sunspots grow, the chance of solar flares increases.
  • Solar flares can disrupt wireless communications and Earth’s power grids. But experts told USA TODAY that this sunspot is unlikely to cause extreme flares.
  • Experts are reassured that the flares have little effect on most people on Earth, saying “don’t panic.”

Sunspots that point to Earth have the potential to cause solar flares, but experts tell USA TODAY that they are far from unusual and allay concerns about how the flares might affect the blue planet.

Active Area 3038, or AR3038, has seen growth over the past week, said Rob Steenberg, acting chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Weather Forecasting. The size and growth rate of sunspots are fairly normal, he said.

“That’s what sunspots do,” he said. “Over time, in general, it will grow. It goes through phases, and then degrades.”

Planet-sized sunspot heading toward Earth:What happens if there are solar flares?

What are sunspots and solar flares?

Sunspots appear darker because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface. According to NASA. Sunspots are cooler because they form where strong magnetic fields prevent heat within the Sun from reaching its surface.