What is the largest sunspot ever recorded?

What is the largest sunspot ever recorded?

Its size is 2,740 millionths of the solar disc which, according to the Web site The Sun Today, is roughly the size of Jupiter. NASA says the largest sunspot on record, observed in 1947, was almost three times as large as AR2192. Consider that AR2192 is 80,000 miles in diameter – and you could lay 10 Earths across it.

Which year had a sunspot maximum?

Solar maximum occurred in April 2014 with sunspots peaking at 114 for the solar cycle, well below average, which is 179. Solar Cycle 24’s progression was unusual. The Sun’s Northern Hemisphere led the sunspot cycle, peaking over two years ahead of the Southern Hemisphere sunspot peak.

How large was the sunspot that developed in 2014?

A gigantic sunspot – almost 80,000 miles across –can be seen on the lower center of the sun in this image from NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory captured on Oct. 23, 2014. This active region is the largest of the current solar cycle. On Oct.

How large can sunspots grow?

Sunspots expand and contract as they move across the surface of the Sun, with diameters ranging from 16 km (10 mi) to 160,000 km (100,000 mi). Larger sunspots can be visible from Earth without the aid of a telescope.

Can sunspots be larger than Earth?

The giant sunspot seen in the center of the photo below is about 10,000 miles across. Scientists say the sunspot is wide enough for the Earth to fit inside with a little room left.

Is there anything that’s bigger than the sun?

The size of our sun It turns out that our Sun is an average sized star. There are bigger stars, and there are smaller stars. We have found stars that are 100 times bigger in diameter than our sun. Truly, those stars are enormous.

What is the darkest spot of a sunspot called?

Sunspots have a lighter outer section called the penumbra, and a darker central region named the umbra.

How big are sunspot compared to Earth?

The average sunspot is about the size of the entire planet Earth! However, sunspots come in a variety of sizes ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands of miles across (many times larger that Earth).

Can sunspots be 12 times larger than Earth?

Sunspots can be up to 12 times larger than Earth. Sunspots are surface disturbances caused by magnetic storms. Sunspots can produce flares and prominences.

Is there a planet bigger than our sun?

To begin with planets, as that is the easiest question to answer, there are no planets bigger than the Sun or even close to the size of the Sun. The Sun has about 1000 times the mass of Jupiter. Therefore no planet could ever be remotely close to the same mass as the sun. The sun is what we call a yellow dwarf star.

What happened to the biggest sunspot in two decades?

The biggest sunspot to grace the face of the sun in more than two decades just rotated out of Earth’s view, but it was responsible for kicking up some truly amazing solar activity this week. The sunspot (called Active Region 12192 or AR 2192) shot off four powerful flares in four days recently, with many more smaller flares sprinkled in as well.

What is the largest active region on the Sun?

The Jupiter-sized sunspot AR 12192 is the largest active region seen on the sun in 24 years. (Image credit: C. Alex Young/ The Sun Today )

What was the largest solar flare observed in 24 years?

The sunspot region was about the size of the planet Jupiter and is the largest solar flare observed in 24 years. AR 2192 was actually one of the biggest observed sunspots of all time, ranking 33rd largest of 32,908 active regions since 1874, according to NASA scientists C.

What causes sunspots to form?

Sunspots are active areas on the sun. They generally form when magnetic field lines are warped, and if they become twisted. Part of it may break out, and show up on the face of the star. Sunspots look dark because they are cooler than the area surrounding them.