A region of the sun sends particles soaring through space on May 1. The coronal mass ejection, or CME, took place over two-and-a-half hours. CMEs send particles speeding from the sun at up to a million kilometres an hour. If they are Earth-directed, they can cause radio and satellite disruptions, and can pose a danger to astronauts aboard the International Space Station. On March 10, 1989, a large CME erupted from the sun, reaching Earth on March 13 and disrupting power to Quebec for 12 hours. This CME was not directed toward Earth.
CMEs and smaller solar flares also give us the beautiful aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, that sweep across our northern skies. (Photo: Garry Stone)
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