NASA Logo, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Sun-Earth Day 2010: Magnetic Storms.

Sun-Earth Day 2010: Magnetic Storms

IMAGE GALLERY

CME blast -- A large coronal mass ejection ejects a cloud of particles into space on 2 December 2003. In this composite an EIT 304 image of the sun from about the same time has been appropriately scaled and superimposed on a LASCO C2 image where a red occulting disk can be seen extending around the Sun. This LASCO coronagraph instrument allows details in the corona to be observed.

CME blast -- A large coronal mass ejection ejects a cloud of particles into space on 2 December 2003. In this composite an EIT 304 image of the sun from about the same time has been appropriately scaled and superimposed on a LASCO C2 image where a red occulting disk can be seen extending around the Sun. This LASCO coronagraph instrument allows details in the corona to be observed. Original image and more resolutions can be found at http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/gallery/images/20031202c2eit304.html

NASA Fact

A major solar 'superstorm' such as the one in 1859 could cost $30 billion a day to the US electrical power grid, and up to $70 billion to the satellite industry.