Sun spits out a coronal mass ejection

Sun spits out a coronal mass ejection
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured this image of the sun at 5:06 a.m. EDT on Oct 5, 2012, showing a coronal mass ejection (CME) spreading away from the sun toward Earth. Credit: SOHO (ESA & NASA)


Not to be confused with a solar flare, which is a burst of light and radiation, CMEs are a phenomenon that can send into space and can reach Earth one to three days later.


When Earth-directed, CMEs can affect electronic systems in satellites and on Earth. CMEs of this speed, however, have not generally caused major effects in the past. Further updates will be provided if needed.

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Citation: Sun spits out a coronal mass ejection (2012, October 5) retrieved 26 May 2020 from https://phys.org/news/2012-10-sun-coronal-mass-ejection.html

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