The fastest CME of Cycle 23 overtakes another fast CME

  • Released Sunday, May 23, 2004
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On November 4, 2003, the Sun produced its fastest coronal mass ejection (CME) for cycle 23 out of the active region 0486 located near the southwest limb of the Sun. The CME was expelled with a speed of approximately 2700 km/s. At the time of the launch of this CME, there was another ejection in progress from the same region. The previous ejection started about 7 hours earlier with a speed of about 1000 km/s. The fastest CME overtook the previous one within 2 hours and produced a spectacular radio radiation detected by the Wind, Ulysses and Cassini spacecraft. The movie shows the radio emission and the two interacting CMEs as observed by the SOHO spacecraft.

The movie showing a cannibal CME and associated radio emission.

A CME moves out from the Sun.

A CME moves out from the Sun.

Another CME is launched shortly after the first, accompanied by a burst of radio emission detected by WAVES.

Another CME is launched shortly after the first, accompanied by a burst of radio emission detected by WAVES.

The faster CME catches up with the previous slower CME

The faster CME catches up with the previous slower CME

As the fast CME engulfs the slower one, another burst of radio emission is detected.

As the fast CME engulfs the slower one, another burst of radio emission is detected.

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

This page was originally published on Sunday, May 23, 2004.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:56 PM EDT.

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