Sunspot Region 30

Explanation: The solar active region designated number 10030 (or simply region 30) is now appearing on the visible hemisphere of the closest star . Dwarfed by the Sun's disk, the group of sunspots which make up region 30 actually cover an enormous area -- nearly 10 times the size of Earth. The panels above were recorded July 15, 16, and 17 (top to bottom) by the MDI instrument on the space-based SOHO Observatory as the solar rotation slowly carried the large, dynamic sunspot group across the Sun's nearside . On July 15, a powerful solar flare erupted from this region followed by a coronal mass ejection . The energetic cloud of electrically charged particles swept past our fair planet yesterday, and as a result enhanced auroral activity is possible.