Coronal mass ejection

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/coronal-mass-ejection

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?Ejection of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's corona
2. What is the primary mechanism?Magnetic reconnection in the solar corona
3. How does a coronal mass ejection affect Earth?When a CME reaches Earth, its magnetic field can connect with Earth's magnetosphere, causing a geomagnetic storm. These storms can light up the sky with auroras and can also push currents into power lines.
4. Why do coronal mass ejections happen during solar maximum?The Sun's magnetic activity is stronger during solar maximum, so the Sun releases more energy and more CMEs—about three each day on average. During quieter times, CMEs are much rarer.

Magnetic Reconnection: A fundamental plasma physics process where magnetic field lines break and reconfigure, releasing stored energy.
Magnetosphere: The region surrounding Earth where its magnetic field dominates, deflecting most solar wind particles.
Space Weather: The conditions in space, particularly near Earth, that can affect technological systems and human activities.
Solar Wind: A continuous stream of charged particles released from the Sun's corona into the heliosphere.