Solar eruptions. Composite image of two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupting from the Sun (at lower left and upper right). These are huge clouds of plasma in the Sun's corona (atmosphere). If a CME is directed towards Earth, it can cause electrical blackouts and strong auroral activity. These CMEs were imaged on 8th November 2000 by the LASCO C2 (Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph) instrument on board the SOHO spacecraft. This instrument blocks out (red ring) the glare from the Sun in order to study its atmosphere (corona). The image of the Sun was taken on the same day by the EIT (Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) on SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory).