A 74,560-mile-wide hole has been spotted on the surface of the Sun.
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The sunspot, designated AR2665, is visible from Earth and has been seen by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory over the last week.
The US space agency explained: “Such sunspots are a common occurrence on the sun, but are less frequent as we head toward solar minimum, which is the period of low solar activity during its regular approximately 11-year cycle.
“This sunspot is the first to appear after the sun was spotless for two days, and it is the only sunspot group at this moment.
“Like freckles on the face of the sun, they appear to be small features, but the size is relative: The dark core of this sunspot is actually larger than Earth.”
Sunspots are the result of interactions with the magnetic field of the Sun.
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They are colder regions on the surface of a star and tend to form in regions with significant magnetic activity.
This energy, when released, has the ability to trigger solar flares and mᴀssive storms.
Reference(s): NASA
