NASA monitoring a giant hole spreading across the sun

NASA has released footage of a giant hole spreading across the surface of the sun.

A NASA spacecraft uncovered the dark mass which is allowing some of the sun’s heat to escape into open space.

The dark mass has been identified as a coronal hole, with a NASA spokesperson confirming it poses no risk to Earth.

The hole, which can take up a quarter of the sun’s surface, is created by a gap in the magnetic field.

"Coronal holes are the source of a high-speed wind of solar particles that streams off the sun,” the NASA spokesperson said.

The high speed wind, while posing no risk to Earth, can disrupt satellites and communication devices.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory will continue to monitor the sun’s surface, as it has done since 2010.