by Sunspot AR3590, which recently spit out three X-class solar flares in under 24 hours, has grown even larger and is now pointed almost directly at Earth, putting us in the crosshairs of more potential eruptions.
Sunspot AR3590 first appeared on the sun's Earth-facing side on Feb. 18 and quickly swelled into a dark patch several times wider than our planet.
On Feb. 21, AR3590 spit out a pair of X-class flares — the most powerful type of solar flare — with magnitudes of X1.7 and X1.8.
On Feb. 22, the same sunspot unleashed a massive X6.3 flare, the most powerful solar explosion in more than six years.
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Sunspot AR3590 first appeared on the sun's Earth-facing side on Feb. 18 and quickly swelled into a dark patch several times wider than our planet.
On Feb. 21, AR3590 spit out a pair of X-class flares — the most powerful type of solar flare — with magnitudes of X1.7 and X1.8.
On Feb. 22, the same sunspot unleashed a massive X6.3 flare, the most powerful solar explosion in more than six years.
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