On
May 2nd, two enormous clouds of energetic particles blasted away from the
solar surface in nearly simultaneous eruptions. Known as coronal mass ejections
(CMEs), they appear as large "bubbles" oriented at about 2 o'clock
and 8 o'clock in this composite image from cameras onboard the sun-staring
SOHO spacecraft. |
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At
picture center, an extreme ultraviolet image of the Sun recorded near the
time of these eruptions has been superimposed for scale. The blank region
surrounding it corresponds to an occulting disk in one of SOHO's coronagraphic
cameras. Speeding outward at millions of kilometers per hour, these two
CMEs missed our fair planet. But those that do impact Earth's magnetosphere
often trigger auroral displays and disruptions. |
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