This GIF shows a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) leaving the Sun at high speed and heading towards Earth on 18 January 2026. The GIF combines data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (Sun disk) with coronagraph images acquired using the LASCO instrument onboard the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft.
This ‘halo’ CME appears to grow radially outwards from the Sun in many directions, indicating that it is heading in Earth’s general direction.
Video created with ESA’s JHelioViewer.