“Large Sunspot Detected: Should We Be Concerned About Potential Power Outages?”

Jakarta –

Astronomers have detected a large black spot that can be seen with the naked eye. The spot is four times larger than Earth, is it dangerous?

Quoting from Ladbible, Saturday (27/05/2023), this phenomenon is actually common. While this may not be a problem, certain spots can often be a sign of something more dangerous.

That said, these spots are areas on the surface of the Sun that have high magnetic activity and send out high-speed energy, light, and particles after a big explosion on the surface. A recent sunspot, known as AR3310, can trigger a radio blackout when a powerful class X flare reaches our planet.

Astronomers say that sunspots are increasing and the phenomenon is natural. The sun is reaching its peak activity as it does every decade, but this time there is a 20% chance that an flare-up could cause worldwide power outages.

Sunspot is capable of releasing a single flare despite being of the smaller M-1 class. But still it is the second largest in size, and can release X-1 flames to Earth.

“The largest class X flare is by far the largest explosion in the solar system and is awe-inspiring to watch,” said NASA.

The stronomers cautioned, although the spots reported this time are quite large and can be seen with the naked eye, that doesn’t mean we have to test them by looking straight up. The scientific community and the general public are asked to use relevant glasses to protect their eyes.

New York, New Jersey, Nebraska and Pennsylvania are great places to see the phenomenon. Unfortunately because the smoke caused by forest fires in Canada will interfere with observations.

Little is known, the fires have caused more than 30,000 people to be evacuated from their homes, with around 84 separate fires still burning. Despite the recent heavy rains in the region, the fires are expected to continue for several more days.

Heavy rain after a period of extreme heat can also increase the risk of flash flooding because scorched, dry soil does not absorb water as effectively as damp or wet soil.

*This article was written by Mahendra Lavidavayastama, a participant in the Merdeka Campus Certified Internship Program at detikcom.

Watch Video “Scientists Predict the Occurrence of a Star Swallowing Earth“

(afr/afr)