Solar Wind, Geomagnetic Storms, and Coronal Mass Ejections | NESDIS | National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Se
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:11
Solar Wind, Geomagnetic Storms, and Coronal Mass Ejections | NESDIS | National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
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Solar Wind, Geomagnetic Storms, and Coronal Mass Ejections
The solar wind is a continuous stream of particles--mainly protons and electrons in a state known as a plasma--flowing outward from the Sun. High speed solar winds bring geomagnetic storms while slow speed winds bring calm space weather. Forecasting the solar wind is critical to developing forecasts of space weather and its impacts at Earth.
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large clouds of plasma and magnetic fields hurled into space from the Sun. The ejected material can travel a million or more miles per hour (500 km/second). Fast CMEs occur more often near the peak of the 11-year solar cycle, and can trigger major disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere. The Sun can eject matter in any direction, so only some of the CMEs will actually encounter Earth.
When Solar Storms Attack: Space Weather and our Infrastructure
Solar Storms
When Solar Storms Attack: Space Weather and our Infrastructure
Nation's first operational satellite in deep space reaches final orbit
Deep Space Orbit
Nation's first operational satellite in deep space reaches final orbit
NOAA's DSCOVR: Offering A New View of the Solar Wind
View Solar Wind
NOAA's DSCOVR: Offering A New View of the Solar Wind
SUVI Sees Large Coronal Hole
SUVI
SUVI Sees Large Coronal Hole
GOES West Views an Eruption on Sun’s Surface
The Sun's Surface
GOES West Views an Eruption on Sun’s Surface
NOAA Shares First Imagery from GOES-18 SUVI Instrument
First Images
NOAA Shares First Imagery from GOES-18 SUVI Instrument
Skip to main content
Official websites use .gov
A
.gov
website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A
lock
(
) or
https://
means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Solar Wind, Geomagnetic Storms, and Coronal Mass Ejections
The solar wind is a continuous stream of particles--mainly protons and electrons in a state known as a plasma--flowing outward from the Sun. High speed solar winds bring geomagnetic storms while slow speed winds bring calm space weather. Forecasting the solar wind is critical to developing forecasts of space weather and its impacts at Earth.
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large clouds of plasma and magnetic fields hurled into space from the Sun. The ejected material can travel a million or more miles per hour (500 km/second). Fast CMEs occur more often near the peak of the 11-year solar cycle, and can trigger major disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere. The Sun can eject matter in any direction, so only some of the CMEs will actually encounter Earth.
When Solar Storms Attack: Space Weather and our Infrastructure
Solar Storms
When Solar Storms Attack: Space Weather and our Infrastructure
Nation's first operational satellite in deep space reaches final orbit
Deep Space Orbit
Nation's first operational satellite in deep space reaches final orbit
NOAA's DSCOVR: Offering A New View of the Solar Wind
View Solar Wind
NOAA's DSCOVR: Offering A New View of the Solar Wind
SUVI Sees Large Coronal Hole
SUVI
SUVI Sees Large Coronal Hole
GOES West Views an Eruption on Sun’s Surface
The Sun's Surface
GOES West Views an Eruption on Sun’s Surface
NOAA Shares First Imagery from GOES-18 SUVI Instrument
First Images
NOAA Shares First Imagery from GOES-18 SUVI Instrument