A Giant Black Spot Four Times the Size of Earth Has Formed on the Sun

A giant black spot four times the size of our Earth was spotted on the Sun, which can even be seen with the naked eye – provided you have the right equipment.

The first to discover the spot dubbed AR3310 was an astronomer from South Korea, Bum-Suk Yeom. He recommends using special eclipse glasses with lenses that block out 100% of the Sun's UV and infrared rays to protect the eyes.

As Business Insider notes, observers in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska could see the spot without glasses because the smoke from nearby wildfires served as a natural filter for the setting Sun.

Sunspots are areas with an extremely active magnetic field and sometimes serve as sources of strong solar flares, which lead to geomagnetic storms on Earth.

Astronomers have been observing the AR3310 sunspot for some time, and it has already produced an M-class flare. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there is a 20% chance of an X-class flare, the most powerful one.

The Sun is currently preparing for a peak activity in its 11-year cycle, during which sunspots are more likely to appear, so the phenomenon is not rare.