On December 17, a rare coronal mass ejection (CME) was recorded by the SOHO spacecraft, reaching speeds of 3161 km/s, emphasizing increased solar activity.
The CME occurred on the far side of the Sun, meaning its plasma stream was not directed towards Earth. Slower CMEs typically reach Earth within 2-3 days when originating from the side facing our planet. If this particular plasma stream had been directed at Earth, it would have arrived in approximately 18 hours.
When CMEs encounter Earth's magnetic field, they can trigger geomagnetic storms. However, this rapid plasma flow has traveled into space without impacting our planet.
This event marks the fourth CME from the far side of the Sun in the last ten days, suggesting the presence of an active sunspot that may rotate into view next week, potentially leading to further plasma eruptions that could affect Earth.
In addition to the high-speed CME, SOHO also detected two other significant eruptions linked to solar prominences on the Sun's southeastern region. Solar prominences are vast threads of ionized plasma that rise above the solar surface. When unstable, they either fall back to the Sun or are released into space as CMEs.
The unique images captured by SOHO instruments reveal the complex structure of these CMEs.