A gigantic sunspot five times the size of the Earth has been identified by astronomers in Sharjah.
Researchers at the Sharjah Academy of Astronomy, Space, Science and Technology detected the radio solar emission earlier this month.
Dr Ilias Fernini, deputy general director of the academy's Research Laboratories and Sharjah Observatory, described sunspots as dark blotches on the surface of the sun that are caused by increased magnetic activity.
They are the primary indicators of solar eruptions that lead to solar storms.
“We detected a sunspot which is five times the size of the Earth,” said Dr Fernini.
In 1989, the entire Quebec province in Canada faced a power outage because of a solar storm that heavily damaged their electricity grid.
The electrically charged particles from the storm were so strong they crossed through Earth’s magnetic field, causing Central and Northern Canada’s skies to light up with Aurora Borealis – or Northern Lights – for two full days, and became visible in places such as Honduras and Dominica.
Now, thanks to advances in technology, space researchers and scientists can monitor the sun throughout the day and more efficiently for any increased solar activity.
Space scientists and astronomers have been closely monitoring the sun, as it has entered its new 11-year cycle (Solar Cycle 25), which could cause it to be more active.
For the past several years it has been quiet, with very little solar activity.
“It all depends how strong the cycle is. We expect it to be at a maximum by 2022,” said Dr Fernini.
The sunspot detected was part of a family of sunspots that were flagged by US space agency Nasa on May 29.
Nasa’s Parker Solar Probe detected the solar flare, which was the largest discovered since October 2017.
Dr Fernini said that increased solar activity could affect the global climate in the long run.
He said the particles released from the solar flares can also impact human-built space objects.
“Sometimes when we receive highly charged particles, it may also affect our satellites. We survived them in 2003 when the sun was very active and it sent huge amounts of particles towards our planet,” said Dr Fernini.
He added that more than 28 satellites in low Earth orbit were damaged and two others were destroyed in the 2003 solar storms, also called ‘Halloween Storms’ due to their occurrence around the autumn celebration.
How to help or find other cats to adopt
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
6.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m, Winner: Mayehaab, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Monoski, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Eastern World, Royston Ffrench, Charlie Appleby
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Madkal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Taneen, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
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- Power: 640hp
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- Price: Not announced yet
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier
ICC Academy, November 22-28
UAE fixtures
Nov 22, v Malaysia
Nov 23, v Hong Kong
Nov 25, v Bhutan
Nov 26, v Kuwait
Nov 28, v Nepal
ICC T20I rankings
14. Nepal
17. UAE
25. Hong Kong
34. Kuwait
35. Malaysia
44. Bhutan
UAE squad
Chaya Mughal (captain), Natasha Cherriath, Samaira Dharnidharka, Kavisha Egodage, Mahika Gaur, Priyanjali Jain, Suraksha Kotte, Vaishnave Mahesh, Judit Peter, Esha Rohit, Theertha Satish, Chamani Seneviratne, Khushi Sharma, Subha Venkataraman
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) US$175,000 1,000m
7.05pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (Dirt) $100,000 1,900m
7.40pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,800m
8.15pm: Handicap (D) $135,000 2,000m
8.50pm: Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,400m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) $135,000 2,410m.
Jawan
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