A giant cat image appeared on the Sun: scientists are amazed

A coronal hole with an unusual shape resembling a cat's silhouette has been detected on the surface of the Sun. This unusual sight on the celestial body has attracted the attention of internet users and scientists. This was reported by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch.

Laboratory representatives reacted humorously to this phenomenon on their Telegram channel.

"The coronal hole has turned into a kitten. To see it, admittedly, we had to rotate the Sun," the message says.

According to experts, a coronal hole is a specific region in the corona, which is the outer layer of the Sun's atmosphere. There, the magnetic field lines are open, and the density and temperature of the plasma are lower compared to the surrounding areas. For this reason, such areas appear as dark spots in ultraviolet and X-ray images.

Interestingly, coronal holes are significant not only for their appearance but also for their impact. High-speed solar wind streams emanate from them. When these streams reach Earth, they can cause geomagnetic storms.

Thus, although the cat-like shape on the Sun may seem like a simple random sight, it hides important physical processes that astronomers study.