Coronal Mass Ejection From The Sun Speeding Towards Earth At 900 Miles Per Second

A high-speed coronal mass ejection erupted from the sun and is blazing in the direction of Earth at speeds of 900 miles per second.

The coronal mass ejections, or CME, is a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space and can potentially reach Earth. Historically, CMEs at this speed have caused mild to moderate effects on Earth, NASA reported.

If the solar particles do reach Earth it will likely be within one to three days of the initial ejection, which occurred at 2:54 a.m. EST on March 15.

The CME can potentially affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground, a statement from NASA said.

Models based on observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and ESA/NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show the CME traveling at speeds up to 900 miles per second, which is considered quite fast for CMEs.

The CME may also pass by the Spitzer and Messenger spacecraft; NASA has notified their mission operators. Because only minor particle radiation is associated with the event, there is little worry that the computers and electronics of the interplanetary spacecraft will be effected.

Earth-directed CMEs can cause a space weather phenomenon called a geomagnetic storm. A CME of this size can produce a geomagnetic storm of mild to medium strength.

The National Weather Service Space Weather Prediction Center is not predicting the occurrence of any geomagnetic storms, radiation storms or radio blackouts.

Updated information on space weather can be found at: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov