Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), often associated with coronal flares, are the most powerful magnetic phenomena occurring on the Sun. Stars show magnetic activity levels up to ten thousand times higher, and CME effects on stellar physics and circumstellar environments are predicted to be substantial. The model is an artist’s view of a giant CME caused by a bright flare occured on the active star HD 9024. The flare and the associated CME were observed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory space telescope. The analysis of observations allowed to reconstruct the geometrical and physical characteristics of the flare and CME.
Reference: Argiroffi et al. 2019, Nature Astronomy 3, 742.
Credits: INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo.