Butterfly-shaped 'hole' appears on the sun
It's more than 35 times wider than the Earth, and it could spark northern lights over the weekend over parts of North America.
NASA has uncovered spots on rocks, created or modified by water, on Mars in the past.
A coronal hole more than 35 times wider than the Earth has appeared on the surface of the sun, and it could spark aurora in Alaska, parts of Canada and perhaps even the far northern United States.
Coronal holes are openings in the sun's magnetic field, allowing fast-moving streams of charged particles to escape into space. These features are common, and while this one is large, scientists say it is not unusual.
The one on the sun this week is shaped like a butterfly and measures around 300,000 miles across.
A large dark area, known as a coronal hole, was seen on the sun on Sept. 11, 2025. (NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory)
When a coronal hole faces Earth, the charged particles it releases can interact with Earth's magnetic field to produce the northern lights.
A widespread aurora outbreak is likely, but the green and red flow of the lights could glow in the sky this weekend over typical viewing areas, such as Alaska and parts of Canada. There's even a small chance of sightings in the northern tier of the contiguous U.S., including the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or far northern New England.
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