NASA SDO - Coronal Mass Ejection from April 15, 2012

A short video of today’s coronal mass ejection (CME) which hurled a cloud of plasma towards the NASA STEREO B spacecraft. 

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are balloon-shaped bursts of solar wind rising above the solar corona, expanding as they climb. Solar plasma is heated to tens of millions of degrees, and electrons, protons, and heavy nuclei are accelerated to near the speed of light. The super-heated electrons from CMEs move along the magnetic field lines faster than the solar wind can flow. Rearrangement of the magnetic field, and solar flares may result in the formation of a shock that accelerates particles ahead of the CME loop. Each CME releases up to 100 billion kg (220 billion lb) of this material, and the speed of the ejection can reach 1000 km/second (2 million mph) in some flares. Solar flares and CMEs are currently the biggest “explosions” in our solar system, roughly approaching the power in ONE BILLION hydrogen bombs!

Credit: NASA SDO

NASA SDO - Large Flare and Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)

The Sun unleashed a large X class (strongest category) flare late on Sept. 7 and into early Sept. 8, 2011. The images were taken in extreme ultraviolet (UV) light from SDO. The video clip presents the flash of the flare and a mass of ejecta that rose above the Sun, some of which fell back to the surface. However, other instruments from SOHO and STEREO showed a large mass of particles rushing out into space. Flares emit a great deal of radiation, but this is not captured in this wavelength of light. The brightness of this flare caused very bright saturation and ‘blooming’ above and below the flare region on the CCD detector and caused extended diffraction patterns to spread out.

Credit: NASA SDO