The largest sunspot in decades is pointed right at Earth

The largest sunspot in decades is pointed right at Earth

Scientists have detected the largest sunspot region in more than 20 years — and it's aiming solar flares toward Earth.

The solar flares from the sunspot could eventually turn into a solar storm and create a coronal mass ejection (CME), which could cause auroras and disrupt Earth's power grids. The sunspot cluster in question, AR12192, is "the largest sunspot group since November of 1990," Dough Biesecker, a researcher at the National Weather Service Space Weather Prediction Center, told The Washington Post.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.