Massive Hole in the Sun as Big as 50 Earths [Photo]

We can all blame the Sun's massive hole for the extra bright auroras all over the Earth.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory released an image of the Sun on Oct 10, revealing a huge hole that is approximated to fit about 50 Earths, according to a report by Space.com.

Found in the outermost layer of the sun called the Corona, these "Corona holes" typically appear at the Sun's poles or lower latitudes and are not, in any way, unusual. Moreover, these episodes usually happen during the "less active part" of the Sun's 11-year cycle. 

BABW News explains the solar occurrence in lay man's terms:

It's basically a huge gap in the magnetic field of the sun, which allows particles to escape and blast in all directions at 500 miles per second. The particles that head Earth's way and collide with the atmosphere cause geomagnetic storms, which can knock out radios and satellites while triggering beautiful aurora borealis displays that are famous in Arctic climates when these coronal ejections happen.

The image, as told by Space.com, is said to be taken at an ultraviolet wavelength, not visible to the human eye. Sky observers may not be able to see it as -- one, it simply is not humanly detectable and two, it could cause serious eye damage.

Because of this "50-Earth sized' titanic hole, high-speed solar wind headed to the Earth have been triggering the frequent appearances of northern lights. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, just last week, have predicted auroras to be visible in areas such as Pennsylvania, Iowa and Oregon -- which is are regarded as very "low" places for auroras to be appear in, according to Space.com.  BABW News notes that more often than not, auroras only make appearances in areas closer to the north and south poles.

Furthermore, Space.com warns that if these solar winds are directed toward the Earth, it can set off a geomagnetic storm, messing up orbiting satellites' power and navigation as well as radio communication.

However, as the enormous coronal hole heads west of the Sun, solar winds will stay strong, NOAA officials said in a statement as per Space.com. As a result, we can expect more but for now, minor geomagnetic storming. The shimmering, bright Northern Lights are also not going away anytime soon especially around the Arctic Circle.

Check out the official images here.