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
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More solar events like coronal mass ejections, or a burst of plasma released from the sun’s surface, are expected through early 2026, according to NOAA and NASA.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
At that time, a series of powerful coronal mass ejections from the Sun interacted with the Earth’s atmosphere, disrupting and even damaging satellites and leading to brilliant displays of the Northern Lights unusually far south.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
One common type of space weather event is called an interplanetary coronal mass ejection.
—Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Magnetic reconnection is ubiquitous throughout the Universe, and the same physical processes produce solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the Sun.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2025
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Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
At that time, a series of powerful coronal mass ejections from the Sun interacted with the Earth’s atmosphere, disrupting and even damaging satellites and leading to brilliant displays of the Northern Lights unusually far south.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
One common type of space weather event is called an interplanetary coronal mass ejection.
—Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Magnetic reconnection is ubiquitous throughout the Universe, and the same physical processes produce solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the Sun.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 24 July 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 Aug. 2025.
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