Gigantic Sunspot Grows In 48 Hours

During a 48-hour period, between Feb. 19 and Feb. 20, scientists watched a massive sunspot form on the surface of the sun.

The spot is more than than six Earths in diameter, and could potentially be even bigger, according to NASA.

Sunspots appear when the "sun's magnetic fields rearrange and realign," the space agency writes. They are cooler than the rest of the sun.

The spot could result in major solar flares later this week and is associated with the sun reaching the peak of its 11-year solar cycle this year.

The spot refers to those bottom two black circles on the sun.