The solar disk crosses a black spot, which is four times larger than the Earth. Now it is directed in our direction.
The astronomer from South Korea, Bum-Suk Yom, was the first to pay attention to education, who was able to see him in simple sunglasses. However, he does not recommend repeating the trick, for the safety of the eyes it is better to get a special device with lenses for the eclipse.
Business Insider writes that on May 23, observers in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Nebraska were able to see him even without glasses. Experts note that this is not surprising — on that day, the smoke from nearby forest fires served as a natural filter. In other conditions, it would hardly have worked.
In fact, this is not a new spot, astronomers have been observing it for some time and even gave it a name - AR3310. The phenomenon is not uncommon — now the Sun is preparing for the peak of activity within its 11-year cycle, which sometimes leads to such formations. In fact, these are areas with an extremely active magnetic field. They do not pose a serious danger, but they can lead to strong solar flares, and they can lead to geomagnetic storms on Earth.
AR3310 has already caused a surge of M-class – this is the second level on the intensity scale. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that while the spot is facing the Earth, there is a 20 percent chance of an X-class outbreak - the first and most powerful level. It can both bring a beautiful aurora borealis and cause interruptions in radio communication, experts warn.
