NASA's obligations do not just cover new discoveries. Of course, part of their agenda is making sure there are no anomalies going on in space, particularly those which could harm the Earth. Unfortunately, the space agency has made a shocking new discovery, via its Solar Dynamics Observatory. That is, that there is a hole in the Sun which could continue to grow as the weeks go by.
According to Huffington Post, the hole is actually a just a patch of black on the corona of the Sun. Likewise, these "holes" are normal and appear from time to time. As Tom Yulsman of Discover's ImaGeo blog shares, the coronal hole comes up when the Sun's magnetic field opens up.
This opening then sometimes leads to the hot material from the corona to move outwards. What results is an area that is cool, when compared to its surroundings. Therefore, the area looks much darker compared to its hotter surroundings.
Science Alert adds that coronal holes can grow to cover a quarter of the Sun and are even present for weeks at a time. While the natural disturbance is nothing to worry about in terms of the Sun, or how it could lead to the end of the world, these coronal holes can have a negative effect on the Earth.
NASA has confirmed that "Coronal holes are the source of a high-speed wind of solar particles that streams off the sun some three times faster than the slower wind elsewhere." The solar storms that occur because of these winds sometimes disrupt satellite and communication systems that are used on the Earth.
What could result are massive blackouts that would last until the corona holes are "closed," or when satellite systems work again. On the other hand, the corona holes can also produce some of the most beautiful auroras.
