Coronal Mass Ejection

A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is a substantial release of magnetic energy and plasma from the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona. During a CME, large bubbles of charged particles and magnetic fields are expelled into space at high speeds. When these ejections reach Earth, they can interact with our planet's magnetic field, causing phenomena like auroras and sometimes disrupting satellites, power grids, and communication systems. CMEs are driven by the complex magnetic activity on the Sun, especially during solar storms. While they are natural parts of the Sun’s activity cycle, their effects on Earth depend on their size, speed, and direction.