Multiple Coronal Mass Ejections, LASCO, 2001
Images showing two, then three coronal mass ejections June 13, 2001 taken by LASCO C2. Rarely has SOHO seen three CMEs in a LASCO C2 image because these blasts usually disappear from its field of view too quickly. CMEs eject a billion tons of particles traveling millions of miles an hour. The dark disk blocks the Sun so that the LASCO instrument can observe the structures of the corona in visible light. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a massive burst of solar wind and magnetic fields rising above the solar corona or being released into space. Coronal mass ejections are often associated with other forms of solar activity, most notably solar flares, but a causal relationship has not been established. Most ejections originate from active regions on the Sun's surface, such as groupings of sunspots associated with frequent flares. Near solar maxima, the Sun produces about three CMEs every day, whereas near solar minima, there is about one CME every five days.
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Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
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