coronal mass ejection

noun

: a tremendous outburst of energy from the corona of the sun that can cause disruptions in the earth's geomagnetic field

As they had for the January eruption, the researchers relied on an armada of spacecraft to track the disturbance, known as a coronal mass ejection because it originates in the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona.

—Ron Cowen

—abbreviation CME compare solar flare

Examples of coronal mass ejection in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Such activity, also known as space weather events, can include eruptions of high-energy light called solar flares, as well as coronal mass ejections, which are giant blobs of solar plasma and magnetic field blasted into space. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 19 Nov. 2025

Such speed has only been clocked in about 1 in every 2,000 coronal mass ejections released from our sun, according to the study authors. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025

This 'parting shot' eruption from one of the most prolific flare producers of Solar Cycle 25 was accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME). —Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025

The northern lights were caused by a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when a coronal mass ejection from the sun's surface arrives in Earth's atmosphere. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for coronal mass ejection

• abjection
• advection
• affection
• bijection
• bisection
• collection
• complexion
• confection
• connection
• connexion
• convection
• correction