Solar eruptions send gases directly toward earth but scientists say they pose no direct threat to us.
But for science, it was quite a spectacular cosmic display. On August 1, a large sunspot created a coronal mass ejection from the northern hemisphere of the sun. This discharge of gas and particles on the Earth-facing side of the sun began racing across the solar system toward Earth.
The magnetic field around the planet protects us from the harmful effects and allows us to see stunning colors in the night sky, also known as the Northern Lights at latitudes as far south as Wisconsin and Iowa.
After a very quiet period where the sun showed little activity it has now awoken and is creating a lot for scientists to see. In October 2006, a pair of satellites started orbiting to give NASA a three dimensional look at solar flares and CMEs that head toward Earth. Here’s a CBC story shortly after the launch of the stereo satellites.
NASA includes a full explanation of the event here. August 1, 2010 CME event
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