The Sun unleashed an M-2 (medium-sized) solar flare with a substantial
coronal mass ejection (CME) on June 7 that is visually spectacular. The
large cloud of particles mushroomed up and fell back down looking as if it
covered an area of almost half the solar surface.
SDO observed the flare's peak at 1:41 AM EST. SDO recorded these images in extreme ultraviolet light and they show a very large explosion of cool gas.
It is somewhat unique because at many places in the eruption there seems to
be even cooler material -- at temperatures less than 80,000K.
When viewed in SOHOs coronagraphs, the event shows bright plasma and
high-energy particles roaring from the Sun. This Earth-directed CME is
moving at 1400 km/s according to NASA models. Due to its angle, however,
effects on Earth should be fairly small. Nevertheless, it may generate
space weather effects here on Earth in a few days!
Image Credit: NASA/ Solar Dynamics Observatory
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