Unprecedented Solar Void Emits Powerful Radiation Toward Earth

The colossal coronal hole, challenging scientists' understanding of the Sun's cycle, could trigger auroras and is expected to rotate away from Earth soon.

A colossal coronal hole, 60 times wider than Earth, has formed on the Sun's surface and is spewing fast-moving solar wind, a form of radiation, directly toward Earth.
The coronal hole formed near the Sun's equator on Dec. 2 and has grown since then, a phenomenon that challenges scientists' understanding of the Sun's solar cycle.
The Earth is predicted to receive a glancing blow of radiation due to a plasma explosion called a coronal mass ejection, which could trigger auroras near the planet's poles.
The coronal hole's sheer size and location near the equator is atypical for this point in the Sun's solar cycle, which is heading toward a peak in the next year called the solar maximum.
Scientists are unclear how long the hole will last, but in the past, coronal holes have managed to stay open for about a month.