NASA observatory captures largest sunspot in two decades

This image provided by NASA shows the sun emitting a significant X3.2-class flare erupting from the lower half of the sun, peaking at 5:40 p.m. EDT Friday Oct. 24, 2014. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly and captured images of the event. (AP Photo/NASA)

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has spotted an image of a gigantic sunspot - the largest in last 24 years.

The flare erupted from a particularly large active region dubbed as AR 12192. The sunspot soon grew to be the largest active region observed in the current solar cycle - a periodic change in the Sun’s activity and appearance - which began in 2008.

This is the fourth substantial X-class flare from this active region since October 19. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.

Giant sunspot erupts today with 4th substantial flare since Oct 19. Details: >http://t.co/Ft2qernaxP>@NASASunEarth>pic.twitter.com/npepZgLP7d

— NASA (@NASA) >October 25, 2014

“The sunspot region is about 80,000 miles across, which is wide enough for 10 Earths to be laid across its diameter,” NASA said in a statement.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth’s atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground. These can also disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.