NASA Captures Creepy ‘Jack-O’-Lantern’ Image Of Sun

NASA’s space-based Solar Dynamics Observatory tweeted what appeared to be a jack-o’-lantern-esque creepy smile of the sun — just in time for Halloween.

“Seen in ultraviolet light, these dark patches on the Sun are known as coronal holes and are regions where fast solar wind gushes out into space,” NASA said, adding the sun appeared to be “smiling.” 

The United Kingdom’s Science and Technology Facilities Council responded to the space agency’s tweet with a photoshopped pumpkin of the sun. 

According to NASA, coronal holes are areas of high magnetic field that emit solar wind streams into the universe. If the coronal holes are Earth-facing, a flow of protons, electrons, and other particles collide with Earth and cause geomagnetic storms, ranked on a scale from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). 

And solar storms can cause a whole lot of disruption if powerful enough. 

The coronal hole trio prompted a minor geomagnetic storm watch over the weekend. As of the late afternoon, SolarHam indicates there’s no notable space weather event today. 

As a reminder, the sun goes through 11-year solar cycles. It’s currently in Solar Cycle 25