A composite image showing two CME's (at 2 o'clock and 8 o'clock), with the sun at center. Image taken by SOHO.

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a solar event which involves a burst of plasma consisting primarily of electrons and protons (in addition to small quantities of heavier elements such as helium, oxygen, and iron). When these CMEs reach the Earth, they often disrupt the Earth's magnetosphere, compressing it on the dayside and extending the nightside tail. When the magnetosphere reconnects on the nightside, it creates trillions of watts of power which is directed back towards the Earth's upper atmosphere. This process can cause particularly strong aurora also known as Northern Lights. CME events, along with solar flares, can disrupt radio transmissions, cause power outages (blackouts), and cause damage to satellites and electrical transmission lines. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (720x720, 163 KB) Summary A solar coronal mass ejection blasts plasma throughout the Solar System. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (720x720, 163 KB) Summary A solar coronal mass ejection blasts plasma throughout the Solar System. ... The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a spacecraft that was launched on 2 December 1995 to study the sun, and began normal operations in May 1996. ... The Sun is the spectral type G2V yellow star at the center of Earths solar system. ... A Plasma lamp, illustrating some of the more complex phenomena of a plasma, including filamentation A solar coronal mass ejection blasts plasma throughout the solar system. ... Properties The electron is a lightweight fundamental subatomic particle that carries a negative electric charge. ... Properties In physics, the proton (Greek proton = first) is a subatomic particle with an electric charge of one positive fundamental unit (1. ... Earth is the third planet in the Solar system. ... Schematic of Earths magnetosphere. ... Magnetic reconnection is the process whereby magnetic field lines from different magnetic domains are spliced to one another, changing the overall topology of a magnetic field. ... Atmosphere is the general name for a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass. ... Aurora Borealis Aurora Borealis The aurora is a glow observed in the night sky, usually in the polar zone. ... A solar flare is a violent explosion in the Suns atmosphere with an energy equivalent to tens of millions of hydrogen bombs. ... A satellite is any object that orbits another object (which is known as its primary). ... Transmission towers Transmission lines in Lund, Sweden Electric power transmission, or more accurately Electrical energy transmission, is the second process in the delivery of electricity to consumers. ...

In the book Congo, by Michael Crichton, a CME is what disrupts the transmission from the Congo research team's computers to the sattelites and back to Houston. Michael Crichton John Michael Crichton (born October 23, 1942, pronounced /kɹaɪtən/ [1]) is an author, film producer and television producer. ... Houston redirects here. ...

See also

Solar flare A Solar Flare, courtesy NASA A solar flare is a violent explosion in the Suns atmosphere with an energy equivalent to tens of millions of hydrogen bombs. ...