A Brief Outburst

The Sun experienced a coronal mass ejection on Feb. 24, 2015, which was captured by NASA’s SOHO spacecraft.
The event was part of a three-hour period where the Sun also released part of a solar filament into space.
The SOHO mission, launched in 1995, has continued to study the Sun and make new discoveries, including over 5,000 comets.
NASA is launching three new spacecraft to study the Sun’s influence across the solar system, including IMAP, Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and SWFO-L1.
The launch of these new spacecraft is expected to take place no earlier than Sept. 23, 2024, with continued research into our closest star.

This image focuses on a twisting jet of material erupting from the Sun, glowing bright against the black backdrop of space. The Sun is a fiery, deep red ball taking up three-quarters of the image on the right.

The Sun blew out a coronal mass ejection along with part of a solar filament over a three-hour period on Feb. 24, 2015. Because this occurred way over near the edge of the Sun, it was unlikely to have any effect on Earth.

NASA

The NASA-ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft captured this extreme ultraviolet wavelength image of the Sun on Feb. 24, 2015, during a three-hour period in which our closest star blew out a coronal mass ejection along with part of a solar filament. While some of the strands fell back into the Sun, a substantial part raced into space in a bright cloud of particles.

Launched in December 1995, the joint NASA-ESA SOHO mission, was designed to study the Sun inside out. Though its mission was scheduled to run until only 1998, it has continued collecting data, adding to scientists’ understanding of our closest star, and making many new discoveries, including more than 5,000 comets.

NASA continues to study the Sun with various spacecraft. Soon, there will be three new ways to study the Sun’s influence across the solar system with the launch of a trio of NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spacecraft. Expected to launch no earlier than Tuesday, Sept. 23, the missions include NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe), NASA’s Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and NOAA’s SWFO-L1 (Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1) spacecraft.

Image credit: NASA

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Q. When did the NASA-ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft capture an image of the Sun’s coronal mass ejection?

A. The image was captured on Feb. 24, 2015.

Q. What was the purpose of the joint NASA-ESA SOHO mission?

A. The mission was designed to study the Sun inside out.

Q. How long was the SOHO mission originally scheduled to run?

A. The mission was originally scheduled to run until 1998.

Q. How many comets has the SOHO spacecraft discovered so far?

A. The SOHO spacecraft has discovered more than 5,000 comets.

Q. What is expected to launch on Sept. 23 or later?

A. Three new NASA and NOAA spacecraft are expected to launch: IMAP, Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and SWFO-L1.

Q. Who launched the SOHO mission?

A. The SOHO mission was a joint NASA-ESA mission.

Q. What is the purpose of the three new NASA and NOAA spacecraft launching on Sept. 23 or later?

A. The missions aim to study the Sun’s influence across the solar system.

Q. How long did the coronal mass ejection last?

A. The coronal mass ejection lasted for a three-hour period.

Q. What was likely to happen to the particles from the coronal mass ejection that were blown into space?

A. Some of the strands fell back into the Sun, while a substantial part raced into space in a bright cloud of particles.

Q. When did the SOHO spacecraft launch?

A. The SOHO spacecraft launched in December 1995.