Having a fleet of spacecrafts looking at the Sun from different locations gives scientists a very unique opportunity to study and learn about our Star.

The Sun unleashed an M2 (medium-sized) solar flare with a substantial coronal mass ejection (June 7, 2011) that is visually spectacular. The large cloud of plasma mushroomed up, and while some parts of this fell back into the Sun, most rushed off into space.

The first two segments are seen through the AIA instrument on SDO. First in the 304 angstrom wavelength and then a split screen of 304 and 193.

The CME and associated shock wave produced and S1-class radiation storm, which shows up as speckles in the SOHO LASCO movie.

When viewed in the STEREO (Ahead) coronagraphs, the event shows a very bright plasma cloud roaring from the Sun. The movies show the cloud in mid-flight by combining images taken at the same time: the orange-ish Sun itself (in extreme UV light) with the green C1 and reddish C2 coronagraph. The second image and movies show just the Sun and the C1 coronagraph, providing a closer view of the event, clearly showing material falling back down onto the Sun from astonishingly great heights.

The first image and movies show the cloud in mid-flight by combining images taken at the same time: the orange-ish Sun itself (in extreme UV light) with the green C1 and reddish C2 coronagraph. The second image and movies show just the Sun and the C1 coronagraph, providing a closer view of the event, clearly showing material falling back down onto the Sun from astonishingly great heights.

Credit: NASA SDO, NASA/ESA SOHO, NASA STEREO

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