27 Oct Biggest Sunspot in 24 Years

SANSA is keeping a close eye on the biggest sunspot to appear on the face of the sun in 24 years. The active sunspot known as AR 12192 has unleashed a few major flares one of which was an X3.1 flare. So far there have been no serious CME’s associated with the flares. However the sunspot is currently in a position that if it did unleash a CME it would be headed straight for Earth and my cause disturbances to technology on Earth and in space.

The sunspot is about the size of Jupiter, almost 80,000 miles across, and can be seen on the lower center of the sun in this image from NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory captured on 23-10-2014. This active region is the largest of the current solar cycle. Image Credit: NASA/SDO

Updated information can be viewed on spaceweather.sansa.org.za

For more information contact:
Catherine Webster
Communication Officer
SANSA Space Science
cwebster@sansa.org.za