Solar Eruptions with STEREO Ahead

A View of the Active Sun with EUVI, COR1 and COR2

A very busy active region popped off about ten blasts of solar material over a two-day period (Aug. 31- Sept. 2, 2010). With this composited image and movie three instruments on the STEREO (Ahead) spacecraft, we can see the flare and coronal mass ejections occur on the Sun (in extreme UV light), then follow the clouds of particles as they expand in the lower corona (with the COR1 instrument) and further out into space (with the COR2 instrument).

Solar Eruptions seen with EUVI, COR1 and COR2

Solar Eruptions seen with EUVI, COR1 and COR2

Since these storms were on the far-side of the Sun, they did not produce any effects on Earth. However, solar rotation will bring this active region into view of us at Earth sometime about September 10 or 11. The two movies have been combined into the one shown here. The first part of the video shows a closer view of just the Sun (with EUVI) with the COR 1 instrument and the second part shows all 3 (EUVI, COR1 and COR2).

(credit: Dr. Steele Hill and STEREO)