Coronal Mass Ejection with a Solar Wave

When a Coronal Mass Ejection erupted (Jan. 13, 2011), it also triggered a wave of compressed plasma across a wide portion of the lowest reaches of the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona. As seen in extreme UV light, after repeated bursts within the bright [white] magnetic active region, the compression wave races outward, leaving a dark area behind it. This outward propagating wave of compression, like a blast on an air horn, can travel across almost the entire surface of the Sun. To generate enough force to travel such distances of hundreds of thousands of miles across the surface of the Sun suggests the enormous magnetic energy release that triggers such a storm in the first place.

• CME_wave_best_zm.mov   
• CME_wave_small_zm.mov   
• CME_wave_best.mpg   
• CME_wave_small.mpg   
• CME_wave_best_zm.mp4   
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