Coronal Mass Ejections: Giant Solar Storms

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are massive bursts of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun.
A CME can release billions of tons of solar material traveling at millions of miles per hour.
Earth-directed CMEs can disrupt satellites, power grids, and radio communications.
CMEs often accompany solar flares, though the two are distinct solar phenomena.
The auroras, or northern and southern lights, intensify when CMEs strike Earth’s atmosphere.
The Carrington Event of 1859 was the most powerful recorded CME, sparking global telegraph failures.
CMEs are tracked by spacecraft like SOHO and STEREO to help forecast space weather.
Travel time for a CME to reach Earth can be as short as 15–18 hours.
Strong CMEs pose radiation hazards for astronauts beyond Earth’s protective magnetosphere.
Predicting CMEs remains a challenge, but advances in solar science are improving forecasts.