The Sun on March 30, 2001. You can see the huge sunspot in the upper, right hand part of the Sun. Though it doesn't look like much, this area is equivalent to the surface area of 14 Earths! The sunspot has since moved so that it is on the far side of the Sun from Earth.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of Spaceweather.com
Massive Sunspot! (Updated!)
News story originally written on April 4, 2001
There is a huge sunspot on the the Sun right now. It is the biggest in 10 years!
It let off the largest solar flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) in ten years on Monday, April 2!
This flare and CME won't hit Earth directly. But, there's still a good chance you'll be able to see the auroral lights the nights of April 4th-5th. To see the aurora, you just need a clear, dark night.
Good luck and stay tuned to Spaceweather.com for updates!
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