What are coronal holes, which appeared as a smiling sun

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Last Updated03/11/2022

Recently, NASA shared an image of the Sun that had dark patches on the Sun's surface resembling eyes and a smile.
Said the patches are coronal holes, which can be seen in ultraviolet light but are invisible to the human eye.

Regions on Sun's surface from where fast solar wind gushes out into space.
Contain little solar material
So, have lower temperatures - appear darker than surroundings.
Here, the magnetic field is open to interplanetary space, sending solar material out in a high speed stream of solar wind.
Sometimes interact with Earth's magnetic field, creating a geomagnetic storm.
- Can expose satellites to radiation & interfere with comm. signals.
Can last between a few weeks to months
Appear throughout the Sun's approximately 11-year solar cycle.
Importance
To understand space environment around the Earth through which our technology and astronauts travel.
Unclear what causes coronal holes.

Relate to Earth's magnetosphere – the space around a planet influenced by its magnetic field.
High-speed solar stream can allow energetic solar wind particles to hit the atmosphere over the poles.
Strong solar wind can cause changes in the ionosphere, part of the Earth's upper atmosphere, Radio and GPS signals travel through this layer, and so communications can get disrupted.

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