A large cluster of sunspots will be visible tomorrow as the sun enters a period of magnetic field turbulence, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said yesterday.
The sunspots, code-named AR1302, stretch for more than 150,000km and have a surface area 25 times the size of the Earth, the museum said.
Originating from strong solar activity which peaks about every 11 years, the sunspots appear as dark spots on the sun’s surface because of their lower -surface temperatures.
“It’s the largest solar flare since about 2001 when we were in a solar maximum period,” said Chang Kuei-lan (張桂蘭), an assistant researcher at the museum.
However, since charged particles ejected from the sun during the flare will only skirt the Earth’s atmosphere and not hit it directly, the resulting geomagnetic storm will most likely not cause major disruptions, Chang said.
There will only be minor disruptions to satellite-based communications, such as cellphones and GPS, she said.
The best time to see the sunspots will be in the early morning and late evening when there is not too much sunlight, the museum said.
Instead of wearing regular sunglasses, skygazers should use binoculars with solar filters in order to protect their eyes, it added.
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