Are solar flares and coronal mass ejections the same thing?

The 25th solar cycle has begun, which means that there will be more solar flares and coronal (CME) in the next few years. People sometimes use these two words indiscriminately, but they are not the same. Here are their differences.

With the acceleration of the 25th solar cycle, we will hear solar flares and corona more frequently. Both are huge energy explosions on the sun. Sometimes, they happen at the same time, and powerful solar flares are always related to the corona. When the magnetic field of the sun explosively recombines and drives energy into space, solar flares and corona are produced. However, the solar flare is a dazzling light, and the corona is a large number of magnetized particle clouds, which shoot into space in a specific direction, sometimes towards the earth.

As NASA explained:

Solar flares are different from things emitted by corona. They appear and spread in different ways, and they have different functions near planets.

These two explosions were caused by the movement of twisting its own magnetic field inside the sun. Just like suddenly loosening the rubber band, the magnetic field explosively rearranges and sends a lot of energy into space. This phenomenon will produce sudden flashes, that is, solar flares. Flares can last for several minutes to several hours and contain a lot of energy. It takes eight minutes for the light from the solar flare to reach the earth. Some energy released by flares will also accelerate high-energy particles and make them reach the earth within a few minutes.

The distortion of the magnetic field can also produce another kind of explosion, throwing solar matter into space. This is a coronal mass ejection, also known as CME. You can imagine an explosion through the physics of artillery. This flash is like the flash of a gun, which can be seen anywhere nearby. Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is like a cannonball, moving in a single priority direction, and the material ejected from the barrel only affects one target area. This is a coronal mass ejection, and a huge magnetized particle is thrown into space. It takes three days for a high-temperature substance called plasma to reach the earth at a speed of more than 654.38+0 million miles per hour. Through the solar telescope, we can see the difference between the two explosions. Flares show bright light, and coronal mass ejections show a huge gas fan expanding into space.

Although most predictions of the 25th solar cycle think that it is an unusually weak cycle (with fewer flares and activities than other solar cycles), a recent study thinks that it is an unusually strong cycle (with a large number of flares and other activities). Time will tell us. This is a photo of the sun at 202 1 1 6. You can see that it is blank; There are no sunspots. According to SpaceWeather, the sun has no visible black spots in the past three days. However, with the increasing activity of the sun, sunspots began to form. Please look at the photos of members from the Earth Sky community. In 2020, the sun will be spotless for 208 days. There may be fewer and fewer days without black spots this year. Image from SDO/ HMI/ SpaceWeather.

Flares and coronal mass ejections also have different effects on the earth, which explains the high public interest in them. NASA explained:

The energy generated by flare will interfere with the atmospheric area where radio waves propagate. This may lead to the degradation of navigation and communication signals, and in the worst case, it may also lead to a temporary power outage.

On the other hand, coronal mass ejections can suck particles into near-earth space. Coronal mass ejections will squeeze the earth's magnetic field, generate current, and push particles to the poles of the earth. When these substances react with oxygen and nitrogen, they will produce aurora, that is, northern lights and southern lights. In addition, the change of magnetic field will affect various technologies of human beings. High-frequency radio waves can be weakened: the radio emits electrostatic interference, and the GPS coordinates will deviate from a few yards. When the power company is not ready, the magnetic field oscillation will also produce current in the public power grid on the earth, overloading the power system.

NASA can point out that a powerful space-based solar physics fleet-consisting of the sun, heliosphere, earth space and planetary spacecraft-runs at the same time to understand the dynamics of the solar system and has been monitoring these explosions. In the next few years, with the acceleration of the 25th solar cycle, solar activities will increase: more flares and coronal mass ejections. NASA explained:

Just like how we predict thunderstorms and showers, the Space Weather Forecasting Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States runs simulations, which can predict when the coronal mass movement will reach the Earth based on these data and other data. Then, they will alert relevant groups so that power companies, airlines and other stakeholders can take preventive measures when the solar storm occurs. For example, if a strong corona is coming, the utility company can redirect the power load to protect the power grid.

This is another photo of the sun, which was taken on 20021654381October 6, and was taken by the Space Weather Forecast Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States. If you go to that page, you can get a lot of latest information about what the sun is doing today.

Summary: Solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are both produced when the solar magnetic field is explosively adjusted and a large amount of energy is sent into space. Solar flare is a bright flash. Coronal mass ejection is a huge cloud of magnetized particles, which are thrown into space in a specific direction, sometimes to the earth.