Topline
The sun’s active sunspots—which are the cause of recent Northern Lights sightings in the U.S.—may erupt a few solar flares this weekend, and scientists recommend using solar eclipse glasses to see how the spots change over the next few days.
Group of female friends have fun together during a solar eclipse event. Their looking and pointing … [+]
gettyKey Facts
There may be a chance a few minor to moderate R1 and R2 solar flares will erupt from active sunspots this weekend, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weekend space weather forecast.
Although there aren’t any Northern Lights on the weekend forecast, solar flares are one of the main causes of the lights, so there may be an opportunity to see the aurora next week, since it takes a few days for the solar material to become visible on Earth.
Although solar activity in the area the sunspots are located in—named Region 3796—has slowed down a bit, NOAA is hopeful solar flares will be released this weekend, since the region produced an R2 flare Wednesday morning, highlighting the spots’ “flare potential.”
There were 12 different sunspot groups on Thursday that covered over 2 billion miles, which is more than 11 times the land area of Earth.
How Can You See The Sunspots?
Region 3796 is currently facing Earth, so sunspots should be visible with the proper equipment. NOAA recommends using solar eclipse glasses to look at the spots while the sun is still in the sky. However, viewers should check to make sure the glasses are still safe to use by ensuring the lenses are free from any scratches, marks or holes, as these can diminish the glasses’ protection. The sun rotates about 13 degrees everyday, so viewers can see how the sunspots change each day as they grow in size, die out or rotate out of view, according to NOAA.
Key Background
Solar Cycle 25—the cycle the sun goes through around every 11 years—has been the cause of solar flares and geomagnetic storms that have resulted in recent sightings of the Northern Lights, and NASA predicts it will continue on into next year. Cycle 25 began in Dec. 2019, and it’s estimated it will reach its maximum—when activity is expected to peak—between late 2024 and early 2026. It’s projected to peak with 115 sunspots, which are where geomagnetic storms originate. Although the maximum hasn’t happened yet, the sun’s activity has been busier than scientists anticipated, so it’s possible there will be even more geomagnetic storms leading up to 2026, though it’s difficult to predict exactly when these storms will occur.
Big Number
299. That’s about how many sunspots occurred on August 8, according to NOAA’s predictions. This is the highest sunspot number since Solar Cycle 25 began, and the highest number since at least July 2002. However, the official number will be reported by September 1.