Brilliant
Good news everybody, an absolutely ginormous hole has just opened up in the sun and no we’re not concerned in the slightest.
As if that wasn’t enough to put you off your dinner, the enormous hole is subsequently spitting out powerful streams of radiation known as solar wind.
And yes, it’s going to affect us here on good ol’ Earth.
The good news is that the gap in the sun is only temporary but the size of it is completely unprecedented.
Scientists believe the gap, which is bigger than 60 Earths, is unheard of at this stage of the solar cycle.
The gap, which resembles a dark patch, has been called a coronal hole and took shape near the Sun’s equator on December 2.
Gaps in the sun are caused when the magnetic fields which hold the sun in place open up.
This causes the contents of the sun’s upper surface to stream away in the form of solar wind.
Experts predict that this hole could potentially trigger a geomagnetic storm which could cause radio blackouts and potentially image our electronic devices.
However, thankfully, it’s thought that this solar wind is weaker than previously expected.
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- Nasa confirms chance of newly-discovered asteroid hitting Earth