Skip to main content

Watch this: collapsing solar filaments cause an explosion on the sun

Watch this: collapsing solar filaments cause an explosion on the sun

/

NASA has released a video of a coronal mass ejection: an explosion on the sun.

Share this story

NASA solar explosion
NASA solar explosion

On August 31st there was an explosion on the sun and NASA managed to capture the event for your viewing pleasure. The video, courtesy NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, depicts a piece of solar filament collapsing in the sun's atmosphere, causing an eruption into space. The coronal mass ejection, as the event is known, moved at a speed of more than 900 miles per hour, according to NASA. It eventually made its way to Earth to interact with our planet's magnetosphere creating a visible aurora on Monday evening — you can see the view from Whitehorse, Yukon in the image below.


683916main_davidcartiersr-rivermirror-orig_full