Scientists from the University of Graz (Austria), have developed a new neural network that can reliably detect coronal holes from space-based observations.
About
Coronal holes are areas in the Sun's atmosphere that appear dark in X-ray and ultraviolet images of the Sun.
The plasma (electrified gas) in these regions of the Sun's corona (it's upper atmosphere) is cooler and denser than in other parts of the corona.
They appear dark because plasma particles can escape along the magnetic field from the solar surface into interplanetary space, leaving a ‘hole’ in the corona.
The escaping particles form high-speed solar wind streams that can eventually hit Earth, causing geomagnetic storms.
The appearance and location of these holes on the Sun varies in dependence of the solar activity, giving us also important information on the long-term evolution of the Sun.