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On 5:24 a.m. EDT on May 17, 2013, the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME, a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space that can reach Earth one to three days later and affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground. Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, show that the CME left the sun at speeds of around 745 miles per second. The solar material in CMEs cannot pass through the atmosphere to affect humans on Earth. <br /><br /> Not to be confused with a solar flare, a CME can cause a space weather phenomenon called a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when they connect with the outside of the Earth's magnetic envelope, the magnetosphere, for an extended period of time. <br /><br /> Credit: NASA/SDO/Goddard, ESA&NASA SOHO
STEREO Detects a CME From the Sun
05.17.2013
This image taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument at 171 Angstrom shows the current conditions of the quiet corona and upper transition region of the Sun.
Sun's Quiet Corona
04.09.2013
A solar prominence began to bow out and the broke apart in a graceful, floating style in a little less than four hours (Mar. 16, 2013). The sequence was captured in extreme ultraviolet light. A large cloud of the particles appeared to hover further out above the surface before it faded away. <br /><br /> Credit: Solar Dynamics Observatory/NASA
Graceful Eruption
03.16.2013
SDO's Helioseismological and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument provides real time maps of magnetic fields of the entire surface of the sun, showing how strong they are and – for the first time ever -- in which direction they are pointing. White lines represent magnetic field lines looping up out of the sun's surface in this image. Since HMI is providing a type of data never before collected, and so it has opened up a whole new area of inquiry. Changing and realigning magnetic fields are at the heart of the sun's eruptions, so this too is a crucial set of data. Scientists have spent time over the last year to figure out how to best create visual maps from the data – as well as how to interpret them. The HMI images have been affectionately referred to as ”hedgehog pictures” since they show spiky quill like lines pointing out of – or in toward – the sun. <br /><br /> Credit: NASA/SDO/HMI.
Looper
02.11.2013
On July 12, Active Region 1520 on the surface of the Sun erupted in a powerful explosion, known as an ”X-class” solar flare. The eruption peaked at July 12, 2012 at 12:52 PM EDT. These X-class flares are the most dangerous kind, and can cause observable effects on earth as the Sun fires high-energy particles into interplanetary space. Some of these effects can be harmless, and beautiful, like stronger than normal aurorae, the Northern and Southern lights. Some of these effects can be dangerous, like disruptions in satellite communications, or problems with the electrical power grid. The image above is a combination of an extreme ultraviolet light image from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) along with an SDO image of the Sun's local magnetic field. The extreme ultraviolet image highlights giant plasma loops over Active Region 1520. The magnetic image, or magnetogram is shown in purple and highlights the strength of the magnetic field near AR 1520. The tangling of the magnetic field near active regions provides the energy to power flares. The July 12 flare generated a coronal mass ejection (CME) moving at 850 miles per second, as measured by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO-B). That's 3 million miles per hour. At that rate, the mass ejected by the Sun covered the 93 million miles separating the earth and Sun in just a bit more than 30 hours. Did you see it? <br /><br /> Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA
X-Class
12.31.2012
The Sun blows a robust prominence out into space (Dec. 10, 2102). The outer image, from the STEREO-A's COR1 coronagraph, has been changed from green to red to complement the green Sun image, taken in extreme UV light. The <a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/8282501186/in/photostream/'>movie</a> covers six hours of activity. Kind of Christmassy looking, isn't it? Some of the prominence falls back towards the sun, although the disturbance as a whole continues out into the solar system. <br /><br /> Credit: NASA/GSFC/STEREO
Bright Prominence Eruption
12.27.2012
On Sep 30, 2012 at 6:12 p.m. EDT, NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) detected the leading edge of the coronal mass ejection (CME) that had erupted from the sun late at night on Sep. 27. The input of energy and solar material into Earth's magnetic environment, the magnetosphere, caused what's called a geomagnetic storm – that is, compression and variation in the magnetosphere. <br /><br /> This storm was rated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) as a G3 storm, on a scale from G1 to G5. Such storms are considered medium strength. This storm produced aurora as far south as Maryland and Ohio in the U.S. Updates will be provided, if needed. <br /><br /> Courtesy of Joseph Bradley.
CME Causes Colorful Aurora
10.01.2012
Sparked by a medium-sized (C-class) flare, a long, magnetic filament burst out from the Sun, producing one of the best shows that SDO has seen (Aug. 31, 2012). Viewed in the 304 Angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light, the filament strand gets stretched outwards until it finally breaks and heads off to the left. Some of the particles from this eruption did hit Earth with a glancing blow on Sept. 3, generating some beautiful aurora. The video clip covers four hours of activity.
Magnificent Outburst
08.31.2012
                                                                                                                                                                                         
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  • Last Updated: 06/18/2013