NASA explains difference between Solar Flares and coronal mass ejection; know effect on Earth

tech.hindustantimes.com:

The fireball in the sky, also known as the Sun is not only a source of energy and light for humans but is also one of the biggest subject of interest for scientists and researchers. And as we all know that there are many kinds of eruptions on the sun, today we will be talking about the solar flares and coronal mass ejection (CME). As per the information provided by NASA, both solar flare and CME involve gigantic explosions of energy, but are otherwise quite different.

The two phenomena do sometimes occur at the same time, certainly, the strongest flares are almost always correlated with coronal mass ejections. However what needs to be noted is that they emit different things, they look and travel differently, and they have different effects near planets.

Both eruptions (solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME)) are created when the motion of the sun’s interior contorts its own magnetic fields. NASA explains, like the sudden release of a twisted rubber band, the magnetic fields explosively realign, driving vast amounts of energy into space. This phenomenon can create a sudden flash of light that is a solar flare.

Containing tremendous amounts of energy, flares can last minutes to hours. Traveling at the speed of light, it takes eight minutes for the light from a solar flare to reach Earth. Some of the energy released in the flare also accelerates very high energy particles that can reach Earth in tens of minutes.

The magnetic contortions can also create a different kind of explosion that hurls solar matter into space. These are the coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The flare is like the muzzle flash, which can be seen anywhere in the vicinity. "The CME is like the cannonball, propelled forward in a single, preferential