A Solar Corona Ejection
Explanation:
The
Sun would
not be a nice place to spend the summer. One reason, besides the
extreme heat, is that
explosions
are common there.
In the above picture,
magnetic fields
buckle releasing previously constrained hot material from the
upper atmosphere of the
Sun. As a
result, hot gas streams out into the
Solar System,
impacting
planets, moons, spacecraft,
and making space a
dangerous place for astronauts.
Known as
coronal mass
ejections
(CMEs), billions of tons of scathing
plasma
can be accelerated to millions of miles per hour.
CMEs
are more common but less intense than
solar flares.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
