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.—
R. Cowen
—abbreviation CME
compare solar flare
R. CowenExamples of coronal mass ejection in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Elevated geomagnetic activity over the past several nights — caused by two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun — has increased the chances of auroral displays.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
The northern lights may receive a boost tonight as Earth is forecast to be hit by the first of a series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) launched from the sun earlier this week.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Bewildered, the space weather expert wanted to know if there could be space weather events that were smaller than coronal mass ejections and did not originate directly from solar eruptions.
—Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
Geomagnetic storms, which are caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun, can be strong enough to disrupt satellite orbits.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
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Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
The northern lights may receive a boost tonight as Earth is forecast to be hit by the first of a series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) launched from the sun earlier this week.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Bewildered, the space weather expert wanted to know if there could be space weather events that were smaller than coronal mass ejections and did not originate directly from solar eruptions.
—Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
Geomagnetic storms, which are caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun, can be strong enough to disrupt satellite orbits.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coronal mass ejection
Cite this Entry
“Coronal mass ejection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coronal%20mass%20ejection. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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