A haunting grin appeared on the sun as bright active regions and dark coronal holes combined to create a jack-o’-lantern face just in time for Halloween. The image was captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on Oct. 28 at the 193-angstrom wavelength. (Image credit: NASA/SDO)
The sun is getting into the Halloween spirit once again. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured a hauntingly festive view of our star on Oct. 28, looking like a cosmic jack-o’-lantern grinning down at Earth.
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That “mouth” however, is more than just a decoration. It’s actually a vast coronal hole, an area on the sun’s surface where the magnetic field opens up, allowing charged particles (solar wind) to stream freely into space. This particular hole is currently spewing a high-speed solar wind stream toward Earth, which could spark minor (G1) to moderate (G2) geomagnetic storm conditions from Oct. 28 through Oct. 29, according to space weather forecasters.
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If geomagnetic storm conditions intensify, auroras can spread beyond their usual polar locations, into mid-latitudes. 22 years ago this week, the infamous Halloween storms of 2003 saw a barrage of powerful solar eruptions trigger spectacular auroras and disrupt satellites and power systems worldwide.
SDO has been watching the sun since 2010, providing continuous, high-resolution views that help scientists understand how the sun’s magnetic energy drives space weather, which in turn affects our lives here on Earth.
This isn’t the first time the observatory has spotted a spooky face on the sun. Back in 2014, it captured this eerie jack-o’-lantern-like grin.
Solar jack-o’-lantern captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on Oct. 8, 2014. (Image credit: NASA/SDO)
