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On the left is an image of a CME from Nov. 9, 2012, as captured by the joint ESA/NASA Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) at 10:48 a.m. EST. The CME can be seen as the light band that appears to be spreading away from the dark disk at the center, which is used to block the bright light from the sun in order to observe the dimmer solar atmosphere. The right image is what’s called a “difference” image, which helps highlights recent changes in any given image, thus making the CME stand out. Credit: ESA&NASA/SOHO/GSFC
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On
Nov. 9, 2012, at 10:24 a.m. EST, the sun emitted an Earth-directed coronal mass
ejection (CME). A CME is a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of
solar particles into space and can reach Earth one to three days later. CMEs
can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground.
Experimental NASA research models based on
observations from NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and
the joint ESA/NASA Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) show that the CME left
the sun traveling at 350 miles per second, which is a slow to average speed for
CMEs.
Geomagnetic storms can occur when certain
types of CMEs connect up with the outside of the Earth's magnetic envelope, the
magnetosphere, for an extended period of time. In the past CMEs of this
magnitude have tended to have a relatively weak impact, perhaps causing auroras
near the poles, but not causing damage to electrical systems on Earth or
interfering with GPS or satellite-based communications systems.
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