Astronomers have spotted a giant sunspot that doubled in size in just 24 hours

(ORDO NEWS) — The giant sunspot, designated AR3038, has doubled in size in just a day and is now facing Earth.

This means that it can send an M-class solar flare towards the planet, capable of causing short-term radio outages, affecting primarily the circumpolar regions of the Earth.

NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory footage shows how this sunspot has evolved over the past day, twisting and distorting, according to SpaceWeather.com.

“AR3038 contains an unstable “beta-gamma” magnetic field, which has enough energy to generate M-class solar flares, and it is directed directly at the Earth,” the scientists write.

Sunspots are relatively dark, planet-sized regions on the “surface” of the Sun. Space weather specialists constantly monitor sunspots.

Currently, low-level flares continue to erupt in three of the six sunspot regions: AR3030, AR3031 and AR3038. The largest flare in recent memory was a C5.7 class flare from AR3038 on June 20 at 09:28 Moscow time.

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