Largest Sunspot of 2025 Observed From Oman
Observers were able to clearly photograph this spot from the skies over Muscat Governorate using specialised astronomical equipment, in a rare scene that reflects the peak of solar activity currently being experienced by the sun.
Wesal bint Salem Al Hinai, Vice Chair of the Community Engagement Committee at the OSAS, said: 'Sunspot 4079 is one of the largest phenomena we have observed during the current solar cycle. Photographing it from the Sultanate of Oman is a scientific and astronomical achievement that highlights the OSAS's efforts to monitor cosmic phenomena that directly impact Earth. This requires community awareness of the risks of space weather and its potential impact on communications, navigation, and energy systems.'
She added: 'Sunspots are one of the most prominent phenomena associated with the Sun's magnetic activity. They represent a crucial indicator in understanding the behavior of our solar system's star and its multiple effects on Earth. The Sun undergoes regular cycles of magnetic activity known as 'solar cycles,' each lasting an average of about 11 years. During these cycles, the Sun's surface undergoes significant changes in the number of sunspots, the intensity of flares, and coronal mass ejections, which directly impact space weather and the geomagnetic environment surrounding Earth.'
Sunspots are the most visible manifestation of this cycle, increasing in frequency as solar activity increases and decreasing toward the end of the cycle. Currently, the Sun is experiencing the peak of the 25th solar cycle, which began in December 2019. This is a phase of intense magnetic disturbance during which the number of sunspots is markedly increased.
A daily average of about 215.5 sunspots was recorded in August 2024, the highest in more than two decades, indicating that the 25th solar cycle may have peaked earlier than expected.
In late February In 2025, the sun erupted a powerful solar flare, detected by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. These flares are classified as Class X flares, the most intense. This event was followed by a coronal mass ejection, which triggered a geomagnetic storm that reached Earth in April 2025, causing auroras across large areas of mid-latitudes and partially impacting high-frequency radio communications systems.
In May 2025, the sun showed another unprecedented surge of activity, with the number of sunspots exceeding previous predictions, indicating a peak that may be the strongest in decades. This activity is accompanied by powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections, potentially leading to geomagnetic storms that could impact Earth. This cycle is expected to continue until 2030, with solar activity gradually declining after the peak.
One of the most prominent historical phenomena associated with extreme solar activity is the Carrington Effect, the most powerful solar storm documented in modern times. It occurred in 1859. On September 1 of that year, British astronomer Richard Carrington observed a powerful solar flare emanating from a massive sunspot. Within 24 hours, high-energy solar particles reached Earth, causing a widespread magnetic storm. Auroras were observed in unusual locations, such as the Caribbean, and its effects were even felt in Hong Kong and Rome. The storm also disrupted telegraph networks and caused fires due to electrical sparks.
This event serves as an early warning of the potential dangers of solar storms in an age of heavy reliance on technology, such as satellites, electricity grids, and communications.
Also read: 12 Foreigners Arrested in Oman for Violating Labour, Residency Laws
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Insider
22-07-2025
- Gulf Insider
Mark Your Calendar: Total Solar Eclipse To Stun Millions On August 2, 2027
On August 2, 2027, a rare total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of three continents, offering one of the longest periods of totality seen in over a century. Lasting up to six minutes and 23 seconds, this will be the longest eclipse visible from land between 1991 and 2114, making it a once-in-a-lifetime event for astronomers, skywatchers, and the general public alike. While most total eclipses last under three minutes, this extraordinary duration will allow for extended observation of the solar corona and a truly immersive spectacle for those positioned along its path. Where and when to watch The eclipse's path of totality — where the Moon will completely block the Sun — will begin over the Atlantic Ocean and move eastward. According to the shadow, approximately 258 kilometres wide, will pass over southern Spain, northern Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, central Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Somalia, before ending over the Indian Ocean near the Chagos Archipelago. Cities like Luxor in Egypt are expected to witness over six full minutes of total darkness. Ideal viewing locations include areas like Libya and Egypt, which typically enjoy clear and dry conditions in August — perfect for unobstructed views of the sky. Local eclipse timing varies. In southern Spain, totality is expected between 1:30pm and 2:00pm CEST. In Egypt and Libya, the peak will occur between 2:00pm and 2:30pm EET. India will largely miss the event, with only parts of its far western edge possibly seeing a faint partial eclipse near sunset. What makes this eclipse so special? Several rare astronomical factors align to make the 2027 eclipse stand out. At the time of the event, Earth will be near aphelion — its farthest point from the Sun — which causes the Sun to appear slightly smaller in the sky. Meanwhile, the Moon will be at perigee, its closest point to Earth, appearing slightly larger. Additionally, the eclipse's path runs near the equator. This causes the Moon's shadow to move more slowly across the surface of the Earth, contributing to the unusually long duration of totality. With over six minutes of totality and a broad viewing corridor across several countries, the 2027 total solar eclipse is set to be one of the century's most stunning astronomical events. Source Gulf News
Daily Tribune
17-07-2025
- Daily Tribune
Astronomers observe birth of a solar system for first time
AFP | Paris Astronomers said yesterday they had observed the moment when planets start forming around a distant star for the first time, revealing a process that sheds light on the birth of our own solar system. The new planetary system is forming around the baby star HOPS-315 -- which resembles our own Sun in its youth -- 1,300 light years from Earth in the Orion Nebula. Young stars are surrounded by massive rings of gas and dust called protoplanetary discs, which is where planets form. Inside these swirling discs, crystalline minerals that contain the chemical silicon monoxide can clump together. This process can snowball into kilometre-sized "planetesimals", which one day grow into full planets. In our home Solar System, the crystalline minerals that were the starter dough for Earth and Jupiter's core are believed to have been trapped in ancient meteorites. Now astronomers have spotted signs that suggest these hot minerals are starting to solidify in the disc surrounding HOPS315, according to a new study in the journal Nature. "For the first time, we have identified the earliest moment when planet formation is initiated around a star other than our Sun," lead study author Melissa McClure of Leiden University in the Netherlands said in a statement. The minerals around the star were first spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope. Then the astronomers used the European Southern Observatory's ALMA telescope in Chile to find out exactly where the chemical signals were coming from. They discovered that these minerals are in a small portion of the disc which is similar to the asteroid belt that surrounds our Sun. This will allow scientists to watch the process that may have birthed our home planet. "We're seeing a system that looks like what our Solar System looked like when it was just beginning to form," said study co-author Merel van 't Hoff of Purdue University in the US.
Daily Tribune
04-07-2025
- Daily Tribune
Third-ever confirmed interstellar object blazing through Solar System
AFP |Washington Astronomers on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of an interstellar object racing through our Solar System -- only the third ever spotted, though scientists suspect many more may slip past unnoticed. The visitor from the stars, designated 3I/Atlas, is likely the largest yet detected, and has been classified as a comet, or cosmic snowball. 'It looks kind of fuzzy,' Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation, told AFP. 'It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail.' Originally known as A11pl3Z before it was confirmed to be of interstellar origin, the object poses no threat to Earth, said Richard Moissl, head of planetary defense at the European Space Agency. 'It will fly deep through the Solar System, passing just inside the orbit of Mars,' but will not hit our neighboring planet, he said. Excited astronomers are still refining their calculations, but the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometres (37 miles) a second. This would mean it is not bound by the Sun's orbit, unlike objects that remain within the solar system. Its trajectory also 'means it's not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again,' Moissl said. 'We think that probably these little ice balls get formed associated with star systems,' added Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. 'And then as another star passes by, tugs on the ice ball, frees it out. It goes rogue, wanders through the galaxy, and now this one is just passing us.' A Chile based observatory that is part of the NASA-funded ATLAS survey first discovered the object on Tuesday
