Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2026 June 28
   [2]The Sun is pictured in yellow with surface structure. In the middle
     of the frame are many circuitous dark spots. The edge of the Sun is
    visible at the top of the image. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                        AR 4478: Giant Sunspot Group
              Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Alfredo Vidal Pérez

   Explanation: Right now, one of the largest sunspot groups in recent
   history is crossing the Sun. [4]Active Region 4478 is not only big --
   it's violent, showing tangled magnetic fields capable of throwing off
   huge clouds of particles into the [5]Solar System. Some of these
   [6]CMEs might impact the Earth. At the extreme, these [7]solar storms
   could cause some [8]Earth-orbiting satellites to malfunction, the
   [9]Earth's atmosphere to slightly distort, and [10]electrical power
   grids to surge. When impacting [11]Earth's upper atmosphere, these
   particles can produce [12]beautiful auroras. Pictured here, [13]AR 4478
   and its dark [14]sunspots were captured in visible light a few days ago
   from [15]Barcelona, [16]Spain. Almost as large as [17]AR 3664 was in
   2024, the [18]AR 4478 sunspot group is so big that it is [19]visible
   just with glasses specially designed to view [20]solar eclipses. This
   week, [21]skygazing enthusiasts all over the globe will not only be
   tracking AR 4478 during the day -- but keenly watching night skies for
   its [22]corresponding bright auroras.

      Sky Surprise: [23]What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                (after 1995)
                   Tomorrow's picture: supergalactic wind
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([38]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [39]Specific rights apply.
            [40]NASA Web Privacy, [41]Accessibility, [42]Notices;
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC,
                         [46]NASA Science Activation
                           & [47]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2606/AR4478_vidal_960.jpg
   3. mailto: alfvidper at gmail dot com
   4. https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/en/solar-activity/region/14478.html
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection
   7. https://www.spaceweather.gov/news/large-sunspot-group-rotate-earth-view-24-june
   8. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5214/
   9. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/atmosphere/en/
  10. https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/u33/finalBoulderPresentation042611 (1).pdf
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-atmosphere/earths-atmosphere-a-multi-layered-cake/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230122.html
  13. https://spaceweathergallery2.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=234253
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunspot
  15. https://youtu.be/FGRvP8eoPdw
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240513.html
  18. https://www.instagram.com/p/DaDSAjilnC5/
  19. https://people.com/thmb/kiAUaJce7MqVr5XwZFuOA3S10MU=/750x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2):format(webp)/dog-eclipse-2000-ef0176770ff64e6b913f2af6e8273a24.jpg
  20. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap040808.html
  22. https://www.spaceweather.gov/communities/aurora-dashboard-experimental
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260627.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  30. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  33. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260628
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260629.html
  35. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  36. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/
  37. https://inspirehep.net/authors/1073087
  38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  43. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/astrophysics/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
  47. http://www.mtu.edu/