What are sun spots and should we be afraid of them
Miscellaneous / / January 30, 2022
In fact, they are not that dark. And not exactly stains.
What are spots on the sun
These are plotsSunspots/Solar Cycle / NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center on the surface of stars that are colderD. R. Williams. Sun Fact Sheet / NASA (only about 3,900 ° C versus 5,500 ° C) of the rest of the star. They emit significantly less light and appear darker in contrast to other areas. Therefore, such places seem to us to be spots, although in fact they are vortices of hot gas that appearSunspot / Britannica due to the nature of the Sun's magnetic field.
Spots can be of different shapes and sizes, they consistThe Sun and Sunspots / NOAA National Weather Service from the dark middle and light edge, which are called "shadow" and "penumbra" respectively. On average, sunspots areThe Sun and Sunspots / NOAA National Weather Service the size of the Earth, but the largest formations are many times larger thanSunspots/Solar Cycle / NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center the area of our planet, and the smallest are difficult to see even in
telescope. These areas are constantly changing, moving, forming whole groups and "live" from a few hours to several days or even months, until they disintegrate.A group of sunspots taken with the optical telescope of the Hinode satellite. Photo: NASA / JAXA / Wikimedia Commons
Groups of spots on the solar surface. Photo: Hans Bernhard (Schnobby) / Wikimedia Commons
Sunspots can be seenSunspot / Britannica with the naked eye at the moment when the star is hidden by clouds. However, it is better to study the luminary through a telescope: a special one (helioscope) or an ordinary one. In the second case, you need to buy special filters or project an image from a telescope onto a sheet of white cardboard. It is impossible to look at the Sun directly - it is dangerous for the eyes.
Counts sunspotsSunspots/Solar Cycle / NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center World data center for long-term observations of the Sun, which produces the "Sunspot Index". This is one of the departments of the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
Why do spots appear on the sun?
This happens naturally. The sun is made upSunspot / Britannica from plasma, not from solid matter, so the star rotates around its axis in a completely different way than the Earth. The central (equatorial) regions of the star are movingWhat are solar flares? / The European Space Agency faster than the poles - it turns out an effect resembling a whirlpool.
Together with the central regions, the magnetic fields created by them also run away, and their lines stretch and twist around the entire star. Because of this, there areThe Sun and Sunspots / NOAA National Weather Service areas with a very strong attraction: it can be 2,500 times higher than the earth's. Huge gravity does not allow the hot matter inside the star to rise to the surface. This is how cold spots appear. When the central regions of the Sun overtake the poles by a circle, their movement again begins to coincide. Then the spots become smaller (they may even not be at all). This process is endlessly repeated, so the number of sunspots is constantly changing.Sunspots/Solar Cycle / NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.
The growth and decrease in the number of spots occur with a certain periodicity. This is called solar activity cycles. On average they lastD. R. Williams. Sun Fact Sheet / NASA a little over 11 years old.
The cycle has been counted from the beginning of observations in the middle of the 18th century - now it isSolar Cycle 25 Is Here. NASA, NOAA Scientists Explain What That Means / NASA 25th. In 2019, solar activity dropped to a minimum and will now increase until 2025. Researchers believe that the current cycle is below average in intensity.
How sunspots affect the Earth and its inhabitants
Scientists do not give an exact answer, dangerousThe Sun and Sunspots / NOAA National Weather Service whether spots on the sun themselves. There is an opinion that the Earth's climate can sensitively react even to those small changes in solar activity that occur during the formation of spots. Especially if this happens continuously for a period of 10 to 100 years. Say, an excess or lack of ultraviolet radiation can seriously affect the atmosphere. However, so far it has not been possible to confirm the existence of such a connection with absolute accuracy.
So, from 1645 to 1715, astronomers almost did not record spots on the surface of the Sun. This period was called the "Maunder Minimum" and coincided with a severe cooling across the Earth. However, climate change could also be affected by increased volcanic activity and displacement of the tilt of the Earth's axis.
But it is known for sure that in places where sunspots accumulate,Sunspots/Solar Cycle / NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center solar outbreaks and coronal emissions masses. First releaseWhat are solar flares? / The European Space Agency a huge amount of radiation, from radiation to visible light; the second "shoot"The Day the Sun Brought Darkness / NASA billions of tons of solar matter - plasma (electrically charged gas) into space.
The larger the sunspot, the stronger the flares and emissions. And they just might pose some danger.
Solar radiation during flares can exceed doses acceptable to humans. True, the Earth's atmosphere protects wellSolar Cycle 25 Is Here. NASA, NOAA Scientists Explain What That Means / NASA us from such impact, and only passengers and crews of high-flying aircraft, as well as astronauts in outer space. More flashes can lead to long-term and large-scale failures in the operation of radio communications, but nothing more.
Streams of solar plasma are more dangerous. Having reached the Earth, they affect the magnetic field of our planet - they occurA. D. Shevnin. Magnetic storms / Big Russian encyclopedia so-called geomagnetic storms. The latter can createGeomagnetic Storms / NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center interference and disable space and ground equipment, especially power lines and transformers. For example, in 1859, due to geomagnetic storms, burned downA Super Solar Flare / NASA Science kilometers of telegraph lines in the United States, and today a similar event costSevere Space Weather Events. Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts: A Workshop Report / The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine US economy would be worth two trillion dollars.
In addition, research shows 1. S. Ghione, L. Mezzasalma, C. Del Seppia et al. Do geomagnetic disturbances of solar origin affect arterial blood pressure? / Journal of Human Hypertension
2. A. Alabdulgader, R. McCraty, M. Atkinson et al. Long‑Term Study of Heart Rate Variability Responses to Changes in the Solar and Geomagnetic Environment / Scientific Reports
3. v. L. Feigin, P. G. Parmar, S. Barker Collo et al. Geomagnetic Storms Can Trigger Stroke / Stroke
4. D. Kiznys, J. Venclovienė. P II – 1–3 Geomagnetic storm, strong solar wind and stream interaction region affect for cardiovascular system / Occupational and Environmental Medicinee that magnetic storms adversely affect the health of people with cardiovascular diseases.
The devastating effects of solar flares and coronal ejections can be avoided. For example, in order to prevent the destruction of the power system, it is necessaryNational Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan Released / US Space Weather Prediction Center turn off electrical appliances in a timely manner. And save weather dependent people really, if you warn them of the danger.
Therefore, scientists followSolar Cycle 25 Is Here. NASA, NOAA Scientists Explain What That Means / NASA behind solar cycles and activity and can already predict space weather days in advance. However, while the most accurate predictions are madeV. N. Obridko. About the so-called "geomagnetic forecasts of unfavorable days" / In Defense of Science No. 2 a day and a couple of hours before a magnetic storm.
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Master, but not a Jedi - a historian by education. I write about history, psychology and other fields of knowledge, as well as about social phenomena. I study articles and researches of scientists, I translate from scientific to human. I burn out popular misconceptions and pseudoscience with a red-hot iron.