A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a large-scale eruptive solar phenomenon in which magnetized plasma from the Sun’s corona is expelled into interplanetary space, typically associated with magnetic reconnection in active regions or filament eruptions. CMEs involve the release of up to ~10¹⁶ g of plasma embedded in coherent magnetic flux rope structures and can attain speeds from a few hundred to over 2,000 km/s. Propagating through the heliosphere, they drive interplanetary shocks, restructure the solar wind and heliospheric magnetic field, and, upon interacting with planetary magnetospheres, can induce strong geomagnetic disturbances.
A new study has revealed an unexpected link between solar storms and the flux of high-energy cosmic rays arriving at Earth. The findings, made using one of the world's largest cosmic ray detectors, could open up a new way ...
In May 2024, auroras were observed at unusually low latitudes across the globe, lighting up skies that rarely see such displays. Inside Earth's magnetosphere, the region of space surrounding our planet and dominated by its ...
Astronomy
Jun 26, 2026
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A University of Iowa-led physics team has detailed the extreme expansion of a magnetic cloud that originated from a huge, gaseous explosion on the sun. In a new study, the researchers describe the inflated magnetic cloud ...
Astronomy
Jun 24, 2026
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Close to 100 scientists from all over Europe, the United States, and Japan are gathering this week at the Institute for Solar Physics (KIS) in Freiburg to present and discuss the first scientific results from the successful ...
Planetary Sciences
Jun 3, 2026
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The proton sharks showed up on a Friday. In a routine data calibration meeting for NASA's Parker Solar Probe in 2020, a small group of scientists were scrolling through visualizations of their data showing solar winds. Suddenly, ...
Astronomy
May 28, 2026
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When you look up at the sky on a sunny day, the sun might seem like a bright spot, unchanging in the sky. But the sun is a complex, dynamic celestial body, wrapped in electrical currents and magnetic fields that constantly ...
Astronomy
May 24, 2026
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A team of scientists has recorded one of the most detailed views ever of a failed solar eruption, a powerful blast from the sun that never broke free. Their work is published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Planetary Sciences
May 20, 2026
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A joint European-Chinese spacecraft blasted into orbit Tuesday to investigate what happens when extreme winds and giant explosions of plasma shot out from the sun slam into Earth's magnetic shield.
Planetary Sciences
May 19, 2026
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A joint European-Chinese spacecraft is set to blast off Tuesday to investigate what happens when extreme winds and giant explosions of plasma shot out from the sun slam into Earth's magnetic shield.
Planetary Sciences
May 17, 2026
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When NASA scientists first observed a particular radio burst from the sun in August 2025, there was nothing unusual about it. But then the radio burst kept going. Typically, solar radio bursts like these last a few hours ...
Astronomy
May 15, 2026
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