A colossal coronal hole, nearly 500,000 miles (800,000 kilometers) wide, has opened in the sun's atmosphere, spewing fast-moving solar wind toward Earth.

Coronal holes are regions where the sun's magnetic fields have opened up, allowing solar wind, to escape freely into space, according to spaceweather.com. These areas appear darker in ultraviolet images because the hot, glowing gases typically trapped within the magnetic fields are no longer contained, instead streaming outward into space.

Passionate about astrology and celestial events.

Fascinating stuff! It's amazing how these massive solar events can impact our planet. Always something new to learn about space and the sun's powerful dynamics.