According to a report from Space.com, the size of the coronal hole reaches 500,000 miles (804.7 thousand km). It directs a high-speed solar wind towards Earth, which could potentially lead to bright auroras and minor geomagnetic activity on January 31 and February 1, negatively impacting weather-sensitive individuals.
It is important to note that coronal holes are regions where the Sun's magnetic field opens, allowing solar wind to freely escape into space, as reported by SpaceWeather.com. In ultraviolet images, these areas appear darker because they lack the hot, glowing gases typically confined by magnetic fields, allowing plasma to burst out.
“The solar wind erupting from this coronal hole, which has a diameter 62 times greater than that of Earth, is moving at speeds exceeding 310 miles per second (500 kilometers per second). It is expected that this flow, upon reaching Earth, could trigger minor geomagnetic storms (G1). Although they are not strong, they can enhance auroral displays, creating bright northern and southern lights at high latitudes,” the report states.