This image of a coronal mass ejection was taken on 14 April 1980 by the coronagraph used to photograph the corona, or solar atmosphere, from the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. This image was produced by subtracting a pre-event image from that of the ejection. Blue indicates a reduction of coronal material between the pre-event and event, red indicates an enhancement of material due to the event. In mass ejections, large masses of solar material escape from the sun's magnetic fields and contribute to the solar wind, which interacts with the earth's atmosphere and magnetic fields.
